For the first time in Italy, Mark Shaw's shots of unforgettable female icons

Forty shots taken by Mark Shaw, one of the most important fashion photographers of the 1950s and 1960s, who signed more than 25 covers for the famous LIFE magazine and immortalized some of the most unforgettable female icons of the time, will be on display for the first time in Italy from February 10 to April 14, 2019, at Mantua Outlet Village.

The photography exhibition Coco, Audrey, Jackie: Timeless Style. Photographs by Mark Shaw, the artist’s first Italian solo exhibition, aims to reflect on the concept of the Fashion mass icon: think of Coco Chanel, who not only dictated fashion but made her own life a work of art to be admired, soon becoming a source of inspiration and admiration for the new modern women, who aspired to be free to express themselves and dynamic in lifestyle. Shaw portrayed Coco Chanel (in some shots together with actress Jeanne Moreau and model Suzy Parker) in her Paris apartment, also home to the Chanel fashion house. LIFE published the shoot on August 19, 1957, on the very occasion of Chanel’s birthday. The famous mirrored staircase that dominated Chanel’s apartment turns out to be a perfect photographic location. The informal black-and-white images were created using a discreet 35 mm camera and no artificial light, a fact that allowed Shaw to capture an unusually relaxed Chanel in intimate, almost confidential moments.

Starting with the photo session with Chanel, the review presents many other icons portrayed by Shaw, such as Brigitte Bardot, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, Jane Fonda, Jackie Kennedy or Audrey Hepburn, the latter immortalized in 1953 on the set of the film Sabrina. Shaw was chosen to cover the film’s processing at Paramount studios for more than two weeks. While at first the actress proved to be shy and almost coy, a friendship and confidence soon developed between the two, however, which enabled the photographer to capture casual and private shots that contributed their style to give the actress that natural image that has remained in history. The negatives of that photo session were lost and only recently have come back to light allowing us to rediscover the timeless charm of one of the most beloved names in cinema.

In those years photography played a fundamental role in the imagery of fashion icons, and Mark Shaw was one of its greatest and most faithful interpreters.

The exhibition is organized by Mantua Outlet Village and curated by ONO contemporary art.

Free admission.
Opening Sunday, Feb. 10 at 4:30 p.m.

For info: www.mantovaoutlet.it

Pictured is Audrey Hepburn. Ph.Credit Mark Shaw

For the first time in Italy, Mark Shaw's shots of unforgettable female icons

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