Gio’s Journal: Bloc Party
1
“During the coldest winter in Russia since 1940, I went to Moscow for a shoot. We were jumping up and down to stay warm, so I decided to do a jumping photo in Red Square. It was like the classic tourist picture, but of course I had to leap in a fashionable way—with my coat flying open. You have to be willing to do anything to get the shot.”
2
“At a shoot where we used real flowers for headpieces, the model Daria Strokous was having a salad. I gave her a wreath and said, ‘Darling, you should be stylish even when you eat.’ It looks like the grass on her head is her lunch.”
3
“I recently watched Miseria e Nobiltà, with Sophia Loren and Totò, a Neapolitan comedian. He plays a pauper to her rich woman. Sophia’s getup is amazing! The lace looks like a butterfly.”
4
“The dress in this 1912 Gustav Klimt painting, Mäda Primavesi, reminds me of a Chanel look. It was designed by Klimt’s companion Emilie Louise Flöge, so there’s even a fashion backstory.”
5
“While in Moscow, I went out to Kisa Bar. I woke up in my hotel suite the next morning and there was a disco ball on the sofa. I thought, Oh, God, what did I do last night?”
6
“For Christmas, Manolo Blahnik gave out this superchic deck of cards. I use them to play the Italian old-woman’s game scala quaranta. When you lay the cards out, it’s like having your shoe closet on the table!”
7
“I saw this Belgian bust at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I just love the opulence and detailing on it. I really wanted to have it in my house, but I don’t think it’s for sale.”
Images courtesy of Giovanna Battaglia; Klimt: The Metropolitan Museum Of Art. Image Source: Art Resource, Ny; Reliquary Bust of a Companion of Saint Ursula, Circa 1520–30: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
