IMPRESSIONISM BY KARIN GRIMME
Between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Paris experienced a prosperous cultural and social revolution, that made the ville lumière the undisputed capital of European art. Those painters and artists were impressionists, who — for the first time – left their studios to go down the streets and depict numerous scenes of everyday life en plein air. Taschen, 8,50€

QUELLA SERA DORATA BY PETER CAMERON
Probably Adelphi is, among the others, my favorite publishing house: its covers are visually beautiful and the stories it chooses to tell are always particular. Often the Adelphi writing is slow and long-winded — but it’s not the case for this passion and travel story. The book is about a man who wants to restart new and leaves for South America, to write the biography of one of his favorite writers. But what began as a university commitment, will soon become an exciting youth adventure. Adelphi, 12€

BERLIN LOUIS VUITTON CITY GUIDE BY LOUIS VUITTON
Oh, Berlin! Du bist so wunderschön. I couldn’t leave on a shelf a fashion guide of my favorite city, could I? The LV guide lists a detailed 360-degree view of the best activities, districts, restaurants and shopping to do in the German capital. A must have for travel lovers. LV City Guide, 30€

UNCONDITIONAL MAGAZINE
A women’s magazine, a feminine magazine, full of articles, interviews and wonderful editorials dedicated to strong and independent women. The style is Nordic and because of its esthetic, I easily place it in my personal top 3 best fashion magazines. Unconditional, 18€

PETER LINDBERGH – A DIFFERENT VISION ON FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY BY THIERRY-MAXINE LORIOT
Every time I travel I never miss the chance to visit local bookstores and this Landbergh photography collection was my latest purchase. It is an extraordinary and diversified collection of black and white fashion photos, which makes the peeled pages full of inspiration and vision. Hundreds of pages dedicated to the mesmerizing work of the German photographer, the most known shots for the most prestigious magazines during the golden decades of fashion. So hypnotizing and inspiring. Taschen, 50€

Oltre al piacevole beat, ciò che mi ha sempre affascinato della musica rap (e altre sfumature di genere) è la schiettezza con cui gli artisti riescono a denunciare fatti di cronaca nera, altrimenti lasciati svanire in un fiume di indifferenza.

Indifferenza certamente assente, però, nel videoclip rilasciato da Childish Gambino, giovane rapper californiano, lo scorso 6 Maggio; con oltre 90 milioni di visualizzazioni su YouTube, “This is America” è un pezzo che sta facendo ben discutere.

“This is America” è, infatti, un chiaro grido alle coscienze, una esplicita denuncia contro la violenza che colpisce quotidianamente l’America (e non solo) di oggi.
Una canzone con un testo chiaro e spinoso, accompagnato da un videoclip curato nei minimi dettagli dal regista Hiro Murai, che utilizza l’intrattenimento per esplicitare al pubblico una grave situazione sociale, di fronte a cui non è più accettabile far finta di niente.

Il video di Childish Gambino mostra l’agghiacciante violenza causata dalle armi, in un Paese dove resta tutt’oggi troppo facile procurarsi fucili e pistole. L’artista, Donald Glover, danza in maniera ostentata, a tratti inquietante, prima di sparare con nonchalance alla prima vittima, al suono di «We just wanna party. This is America». Chiari sono anche i riferimenti al terrorismo; il ballo continua, si unisce un gruppo di teenagers che danza in maniera spensierata, finché, circa a metà video, Glover entra in una stanza dove un coro gospel sta cantando e li trucida con un fucile d’assalto, scena che probabilmente rievoca l’attacco del 2015 alla chiesa di Charleston.
Il ballo tra Gambino e i teenagers può essere interpretato in vari modi: potrebbe voler denunciare come l’America ignori la violenza gratuita, o come vada avanti e dimentichi troppo alla svelta, o, ancora, come la musica e la danza, così come ogni altra forma d’arte, possano aiutare i giovani a vivere e convivere in un’attualità così pericolosa.

Come ogni forma d’arte, però, bisogna lasciare spazio alla libera interpretazione ed alla soggettività, nonostante sia chiaro il messaggio che il rapper e attore ha voluto stampare nelle menti e presentare agli occhi del suo fandom e non solo. Sperando che almeno la musica, se non la politica e la cronaca, possano scuotere gli animi, per tentare di costruire un futuro più sicuro.

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Beside the pleasant beat, how frankly the artists succeed in singing and denouncing terrible crimes, often kept drowning in a river of indifference, is what has always fascinated me about rap.

However, this indifference is clearly absent in the videoclip, that Childish Gambino, a young Californian rapper, released last May 6. With over 90 millions views on YouTube, “This is America” is the song on everybody’s mouth.

“This is America” ​​is, in fact, a clear consciences’ awakening, an explicit denunciation towards the violence, that is striking in America (and elsewhere) nowadays.
A song with clear and thorny lyrics, accompanied by a videoclip curated in the smallest detail by the director Hiro Murai, who uses entertainment to make clearer to the public a dangerous social situation, no longer acceptable to ignore.

Childish Gambino’s video gives a chilling look at the nation’s gun violence, in a country where weapons are still too easy to get. The artist, a.k.a. Donald Glover, dance in a ostentatious, sometimes creepy, way before shooting the first victim to the sound of «We just wanna party. This is America». There are also clear references to terrorism; a group of teenagers joins him, while keeping dancing together, until, about halfway through the video, Glover enters a room, where a gospel choir is singing and he slaughter them with an assault rifle, a scene that probably recalls the 2015 attack at the Charleston church.
The dance between Gambino and the teenagers can be interpreted in various ways: it may want to denounce how America ignores violence, or moves on too quickly, or, again, how music and dance, just like any other form of art, can help young people to live in such a brutal world and cope with violence.

Like any form of art, however, we must leave room for free interpretation and subjectivity, although it is clear to me the message that Gambino wanted to give to his fandom and the public. Let’s hope that music, at least, if not politics and the news, can shake the minds, to try and build a better, safer future.

Despite the rumors that have seen it at risk for a long time now, 10 Corso Como remains one of the historic places in Milano for design and fashion. Here you can eat and drink in an urban oasis or shop the boutique that collects different brands, including Vetements, Manolo Blahnik and Maison Margiela. On the first floor there is a book, magazines and design objects store; you can also visit the Carla Sozzani gallery, which hosts works by fashion photographers. I’ve always been fascinated by concept stores and how they put together everything I’m interested in, such as clothes, food and exhibitions. A cute space for a different and glamorous work meeting or breakfast.