The Work of Daniele Cipriani
In “Never Ending Story” Italian fashion photographer Daniele Cipriani rendezvous in the Middle Ages and finds women of power, mystery, and mischief. His models, donned in lavish couture, are caught in the most fantastical situations – fighting on battlegrounds and reigning as queens of empires. He layers art upon art, with classical paintings dropped behind his subjects. The result is fierce. The fashion models play into the scene, transporting viewers into a mystical, and sometimes harsh, past.
His blonde hair falls loosely just below his shoulders. He wears dark sunglasses and is dressed head-to-toe in black. Cipriani could only be considered as some sort of artist. The fashion houses of John Galliano, Rudolph Valentino, Christian Lacroix, Coco Chanel, and Jean Paul Gaultier are counted among his clients. His age is not quite clear. His youthful face and claim to have been born in the 70s suggests that Cipriani is fairly young to have already achieved such success, further proving his creative intuition and great ambition.
Cipriani was born in Sardinia, a Mediterranean island off the southern coast of Italy, rich in both history and culture. As a child, he was influenced by his mother’s fixation for American movies. While his friends were out playing soccer, “I was kidnapped by Hollywood on the telly,” he explains. During the summers, the young boy would travel with his family and serve as the family reporter, hunting for stories and capturing the images on camera. Growing up in the 80s, the flamboyant fashions of Madonna, Boy George, and Cindy Lauper left Cipriani spellbound. Clothing design is a true art form in Italy – the home of Roberto Cavalli, Giorgio Armani, and Dolce and Gabbana. An appreciation for high fashion led Cipriani to Milan, one of the most chic cities in the world, where he continues to live today. His first high gig of great exposure was an international footwear campaign in 1998 for Studio Pollini. His resume now includes work with Absolut Vodka and music powerhouses like Virgin and Universal, but fashion photography is his true passion.
Cipriani recently snagged a nod as “up and coming” fashion
photographer at a Cannes Photo Festival.
With the help of a camera’s lens, Cipriani evokes dreamy and
often dark images for the major fashion players, “a Black Dahlia
style” as he has described – a reference to the books and movies
based on the gruesome murder of Elizabeth Short.
He lists photographers Jean-Baptiste Mondino and Nick Knight
as inspirational, but when on location, the clothing is what directs
Cipriani. “He’s definitely an artist that sees beyond the scenery,
but also envisions what the outcome might be,” said fashion photographer.
While preparing for “Never Ending Story” Cipriani hit the school
books, studying the medieval period to better understand “their
state of mind… their impression of love, faith, and devotion.”
The photographer professes his favorite image as “The Queen,”
the final photo depicting a royal beauty in Lacroix couture. “She’s
got such strength in her eyes.”
Before the “Never Ending Story” shoot, Cipriani was tinkering
on his computer and found a painting by Paolo Uccello, a Renaissance painter obsessed with perspective. Cipriani downloaded the painting and dropped it into the background of a photo. “The final effect was so stunning.” Recognizable in most of Cipriani’s work is a focus on background, whether the location is a grim factory at daybreak, a city skyline in black and white, or dusk on a pirate ship. Cipriani immediately hit the library and researched ancient paintings. With each photograph of “Never Ending Story” Cipriani added one of the Renaissance paintings. His aim was to feed off the models’ clothing while also toying with perspective, allowing the women to become a part of the scene. “It was such a hard job, but I love the result,” he says. Cipriani commands much authority at photo shoots, selecting the location, clothing, and feel of the shoot (with the help of some extremely accomplished stylists) but he describes his approach as more instinctive than methodical. Cipriani admits to being reliant on his Apple computer and his Adobe Photoshop software, but undoubtedly the flash of his camera is what makes all the difference in his work.
