I used to love Christmas, but I must admit that, as the years passed, the old festive excitement was replaced by rather cynical feelings that usually increase in proportion with Christmas shopping frolics (since I hate crowds of aimless shoppers…).
Already tired of seeing tinsel decorations in shops and Christmas party frocks in magazines, I took refuge in another era and another time, 1945.
I took my journey through time thanks to an issue of Italian fashion magazine Bellezza from December 1945.
This issue's cover by Riccardo Magni was unusual in a way since, rather than evoking the wintry season, it reminds of Spring and Summer, thanks to the peaceful atmosphere highlighted by the pink flowers and the feathers scattered on the magazine cover.
The cover also symbolised a new rebirth of fashion after the war.
Since 1941 Bellezza had been the mouthpiece of Italian alta moda (high fashion). Architect Giò Ponti had originally started it to imitate Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, but it was a very different venture in many ways since it was a very ambitious publication, between art and fashion.
The magazine often featured pages printed on different types of paper with fonts that varied from page to page and exciting photo shoots such as a mysterious envelope containing images from seventeen Italian high fashion tailoring houses.
Fashion drawings and sketches were considered more important than photographs: artists such as De Pisis and Prampolini were chosen for the covers; Lina Bo, Dal Forno, Campigli, Rosai, Ciuti, Dudovich and Pallavicini worked on the fashion sketches and illustrations inside the magazine.
Since the magazine mainly covered high fashion, its readership comprised members of the aristocracy and the high bourgeoisie.
In 1945 the magazine celebrated the return of femininity in style with high fashion reports and drawings by Maria Pezzi, René Gruau and Brunetta.
In the 50s the magazine represented Italian fashion abroad and gave hints, advices and suggestions not only about new collections, but also about textiles, accessories and jewels.
What the magazine always preserved though was a strong link with art and artists which is definitely missing nowadays in contemporary publications.
I'll maybe dedicate another post to Bellezza in future, for the time being, I think I'll go back to dream about a pink Spring or Summer day on a cold December evening.
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