GIO'S JOURNAL

Giovanna Battaglia Went to Africa–And Got Engaged

For W‘s glamorous globe-trotter, Giovanna Battaglia, it’s a fab, fab world. Tag along her recent adventure to Kenya.


Gio's Journal
1

“Franco Rubartelli took this iconic photo of Veruschka wearing an Yves Saint Laurent safari jacket in Africa in the ’60s [right]. As I own both the jacket and a print of the image, I just had to replicate the pose during my vacation in Kenya [left].”

Veruschka: courtesy of Franco Rubartelli. Battaglia: Courtesy of Battaglia.

2

“My boyfriend, Oscar, and I had time alone in Kenya before meeting up with our safari. This photo of us is extra special because it was taken the day after Oscar proposed to me. I couldn’t have asked for a more adventurous start to our engagement!”

Courtesy of Battaglia.

3

“I visited a Masai village, where I managed to do quite a bit of shopping.”

Courtesy of Battaglia.

4

“One of the lodges we stayed in had an ancient tortoise you could ride. It was like the local version of Uber—only much slower.”

Courtesy of Battaglia.

5

“How fantastic is this lodge bedroom? It’s like Karen Blixen meets Marie Antoinette.”

Courtesy of Battaglia.

6

“These giraffes looked like they were doing calisthenics! They were even moving in sync, as if they’d been trained by Tracy Anderson.”

Courtesy of Battaglia.

7

“On our first night in camp, girls from the Samburu tribe greeted us and danced. I joined in, but they didn’t seem impressed with my skills.”