In the heart of Italy’s White City, Ostuni, a retrospective exhibition is paying tribute to the enduring legacy of Milanese fashion photographer Gian Paolo Barbieri. This event, a collaboration between the House of Lucie, Ostuni, The Lucie Awards, the Fondazione Gian Paolo Barbieri, and the Milanese gallery 29 Arts In Progress, showcases “Gian Paolo Barbieri: Beyond Fashion” until the end of August.
Barbieri, a master of his craft, has captured intimate and cultured images of iconic figures such as Veruschka, Naomi Campbell, Marpessa, Eva Herzigova, Monica Bellucci, Mina, and Isabella Rossellini, often infusing irony into his work. His photography has defined the zeitgeist, with perhaps his most notable work being a 1969 portrait of Audrey Hepburn in Valentino for Vogue Italia, solidifying his place among the most influential fashion photographers globally.
Since opening his Milan studio in 1964, Barbieri’s career has soared. His work is influenced by art history, exotic outdoor settings, and cinema, evident in his meticulous use of lighting, which sets him apart in the fashion photography world. His work has graced the pages of top magazines like Vogue Italia, Vogue Paris, Vogue America, L’Officiel, GQ, and Vanity Fair. He’s also created provocative and alluring campaigns for major fashion houses, including Valentino, Gianni Versace, Gianfranco Ferré, Giorgio Armani, Bulgari, Yves Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, and Vivienne Westwood.
Barbieri’s photographs are part of prestigious collections in institutions such as London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Vienna’s Kunstforum, the MAMM and Erarta Contemporary Art Museums in Russia, the Musée du quai Branly in Paris, and the Nicola Erni Collection in Switzerland. In 2022, a documentary on his life and work, The Man and the Beauty, won the audience award in the Biografilm Art & Music section of the Biografilm Festival in Bologna.
Barbieri was honored with the Lucie Award for Best International Fashion Photographer (Outstanding Achievement in Fashion) in 2018. The Lucie Awards, founded by Hossein Farmani, celebrate the most significant accomplishments in photography, and the House of Lucie serves as a contemporary photography space showcasing the extraordinary work of honorees like Barbieri.
The exhibition features a blend of masterworks and never-before-seen photographs from Barbieri’s extensive archive, spanning the 1960s to the early 2000s. Known for his use of film noir lighting, technicolor surrealism, and innovative set design, Barbieri’s distinctive style and close relationships with leading designers were pivotal in Italy’s rise as a fashion capital and in ushering in a new era for fashion.
Barbieri believed that without art, fashion becomes “naked and empty.” His photography liberated the women he worked with from the conventional poses of fashion photography, presenting a new, unconventional elegance that revealed a more relaxed and sensual side.
With over 60 years in the fashion industry, marked by influential friendships, cross-continental projects, and timeless moments, “Gian Paolo Barbieri: Beyond Fashion” is an exhibition not to be missed.
Visit the House of Lucie in Ostuni, Corso Garibaldi 16, Puglia, Italy, to experience this captivating display.
