“Love” by Mario Sorrenti for Vogue Italia, June 2016

Photographer: Mario Sorrenti. Model(s): Amber Le Bon, Anna Cleveland, Arsun Sorrenti, Chris Fernandez, Crista Cober, Devon Aoki, Edie Campbell, Ella Richards, Gray Sorrenti, Jacquelyn Jablonski, Jade Parfitt, Jourdan Dunn, Karolin Wolte, Kate Moss, Lais Ribeiro, Lia Pavlova, Lila Grace, Liv Tyler, Liya Kebede, Lou Schoof, Luca Gajdus, Lucie de la Falaise, Mary Sorrenti, Mia Isis, Milla Jovovich, Mini Anden, Nils Schoof, Noel van Ravenstein, Odette Pavlova, Olympia Campbell, Pat Cleveland, Paul van Ravenstein, Rosemary Ferguson, Sasha Pivovarova, Sheila Marquez, Tallulah Harlech, Tasha Tilberg, Yasmin Le Bon. Source: Vogue Italia. Stylist: Alastair McKim, Joe McKenna, Katie Grand, Melanie Ward. Makeup: Aaron de Mey, Lisa Butler, Yadim. Hair: Anthony Turner, Duffy, Esther Langham, James Pecis.

Posted Jun 24, 2016

Mario Sorrenti invites the light of “Love” to shine bright, Vogue Italia, June 2016. Sorrenti seeks higher ground, in this special issue dedicated to the High Art of the Family Tree. Familial bonds aren’t created equally, so as these shots unfold we begin to get a greater appreciation for the climate of diversity. Anna Cleveland invites us into their haus of haute couture, where communal sharing is unlike we’ve seen. Artisanal genes are on display as the Cleveland crown has it’s fair day. Fashion Editors; Alastair McKimm, Joe McKenna, Katie Grand & Melanie Ward bring a who’s who into the mix, showing styles as sources of strength not pieces of protection. In some of the most compelling shots we’ve seen this season, Vintage Pat bequeaths upon Anna the mantle of modernity. Holding art to a stricter standard, each sibling adheres to the rules of avant-garde theatre. That is to say – the craft comes first. We are not here to keep the status quo, rather, to push past the limits of propriety. Freedom is found on higher ground as Noel stands shirtless behind Anna, as he grabs her hand in quiet strength. Stripped of all falsehoods, four brave souls sit in artful reflection. Paul van Ravenstein emotes an energy that is less the fearsome leader and more the tireless fighter. Railing against the machine of mediocrity, this family fights for their right to live out loud. Connection is a fluid concept, for it’s in the giving of ourselves that we receive our greatest gift. Kate Moss & Lila Grace hold tight as they lay wrapped in each other’s arms. Cradled in comfort, each one mirrors the other, as familial kinship is felt through the film.

Aaron de May, Lisa Butler and Yadim come together to form the beauty collective. Talented artists use their tools to relinquish the hidden gems of genealogy, as makeup becomes magical when it unearths the cosmetic creative. The bond remains unbreakable, as Edie & Olympia are soul sisters with grace, while stars float over the plains of Odette & Lia’s face. Aaron de May creates shapes that shift turning twin’s skin into an amoebic dream. Sibling art unfurls, as Arsun & Gray Sorrenti show, the aesthetic apple doesn’t fall far from the poetic tree. “LOVE” invites birth-rite of beauty to rise, as Sheila Marquez bravely shows herself breastfeeding while Liv Tyler exposes her burgeoning belly. Like a sonnet being read or song being sung, to hold each nuanced note is like prose projected in perfect harmony.

Connection is a concept that’s fluid, for it’s in the giving of ourselves that we speak the universal language of “LOVE”. There is a falsehood held by many that in solitude you find solemnity. As I peruse these pictures, I am caught by one undeniable truth. Infinite independence isn’t met through the process of elimination, rather, it’s conquered through the reign of symbolic sacrifice. To bequeath upon those the gift of yourself is to give that which you hold dear – the very essence of who you are. I see in each of these bold images, sources of strength not just pieces of protection. Just semantics you say, but I denounce that as falsehood. Our words are our source of salvation. They help us to navigate through the stormy waters of life. As the thread of unity appears uninterrupted, we celebrate the individual as we honor the group.