The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2020 - Issue 27

bite book review one hand the brand made newly available the whole landscape of feminine items that used to be part of women’s wardrobe be- fore the 1970s revolutionary wave. On the other, all these small pieces were much sought after by stylists who used them to complement outfits, thus making their way into fashion stories featured in Vogue Italia: when most brands were focusing on few profitable segments of the market, Bianca e Blu provided a ‘total look’. The famous and renowned British fashion and portrait photographer David Bailey is mentioned in the book. Born in 1938 in Leytonstone, London, he started his col- laboration with Vogue magazine in 1962. “Bailey was the author of the portraits of men who peaked in the changing room of BB1, the very first Bianca e Blu space, and since then accompanied the work of Mon- ica Bolzoni.” On the same page is a picture of a young Helena Bonham Carter he took wearing a long and slim cotton cardigan. The rest of the outfit is described as “a silk dress by Bianca e Blu, like a child’s apron of the early twentieth century: elongated corset with small pleats on the side, skirt with larger pleats down the hem in con- trast colour.” The moiré and jet ribbon is by Jean Patou Haute Couture while the hat and shoes are by Philippe Model. Another picture is of a model in a wide jacket with wing motifs on the shoulders and mascu- line lapels by Sainte Fern and black ciré corset and skirt, with a fluorescent belt by Bianca e Blu. Chanel was such an important influence for Monica Bolzoni that her fitting rooms in her space on via De Amicis; Milan, was inspired by Chanel’s boutique in rue Cam- bon, Paris because of its mirrors. Coco Chanel is also credited with having liber- ated the silhouette of women from corsets andmuchmore. A picture of a model in an over vintage dress by Chanel, Sojuzpush- nina grey squirrel fur coat, straight brown cape with martingale wrapping the hips by Cioni and earrings by Bianca e Blu is featured on this page. Over the next few pages you will find glossy images of models in garments such as the short wool- len navy cloth cape with red PVC cross and a white flat nylon collar, and an Eros woollen navy jersey dress; Cristallo beige Lenci cloth coat; copper lurex trench in fabric specially made for Bianca e Blu; Vagabond transparent PVC raincoat; and Kro- nos green sateen extra-long evening dress with PVC-covered sateen bow, before emerging into the remainder of the alphabet chapters. One of the most interesting pieces in the book is the cuffietta cap which is meant to protect the head but is also used as a tool for a metamorphosis of the figure. “It highlights the face, removing the shadow that the hair produces. It lightens it with an unpredictable colour.” This particular cap by Monica Bolzo- ni has been featured in shoots alongside linen bras with inlay embroidery and painted linen dresses with applied beads and viscose and jersey stretch dresses, both by Prada. Regarding the subject of hats, Monica Bolzoni remarked they were “functional to complete outfits and to play. In the 1980s, hats were no longer a trend, and were nowhere to be found, while clients and magazines needed them.” Despite this, there are interesting examples presented such as the wide-brimmed 1920s style hat in black nylon, branches, chiffon and roses; an early 1980s golden raffia with a wooden carved ring; and an early 1980s pink straw hat and mirror PVC as an homage to Pierre Cardin. We couldn’t go on without mentioning another iconic fashion photographer, Peter Lindbergh, who sadly died in September 2019. His work is celebrated throughout the fashion industry,