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Angelic face, androgynous body and a Valentino bag in hand. One of the latest photos published on the Maison Valentino Instagram account portrays the nude model Michael Bailey-Gates and the fact has raised some controversy on the web. The Maison presented the photo as a hymn to “freedom of expression” by specifying later that “evil is in the eye of the beholder”, but was there really a need for justification in 2021?
Valentino, the naked model who causes scandal
The model of the offending photograph comes out of ancient Roman columns naked. The model’s appearance is androgynous, she has an angelic face and a masculine body, the handbag and long hair are the only clues of a female component. The shot is a self portrait of the photographer and model Michael Bailey-Gates while holding in hand (and on foot) the Roman Stud bag, symbol of the Roman fashion house. The description of the post on Instagram says: “One freedom of expression and an appreciation for the limitlessness of individuality distinguish the new campaign #ValentinoCollezioneMilano ”.
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The image is clearly a praise to gender fluidity and wants to celebrate the individual as such.
This is the purpose of the Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli who strongly wanted Michael Bailey-Gates, a New York model born in 1993 who built his career thanks to a no gender aesthetic. His body embodies a beauty free from any label and choosing him as the face of a bag campaign certainly means breaking stereotypes. “My job is to offer my vision of beauty inserted in the time we are living, and what we consider beautiful today is a reflection of our values. We are witnessing a great, huge change in humanity. The movements that aim at self-awareness are all guided by the same idea: evolution is possible if equality is possible, if inclusion is possible, if human rights are protected and freedom of expression is protected ”, explained Piccioli on his Instagram profile.
Piccioli himself, however, had to defend himself from controversy generated by that shot. Among the comments we read: “This image bothers me” or: “Children shouldn’t see it, it’s disgusting” and then a cascade of disgusted or angry emoticons and people calling for a boycott. Piccioli’s response to haters contains a moral to keep in mind: “Hate is not a form of expression, hatred is a reaction to fear that easily degenerates into violence: it can be a comment or an attack on two boys. kissing in the subway “. The reference is to the news story that has recently involved a homosexual couple attacked for a kiss on the subway and the connection is evident. There need to oppose any form of discrimination and the acceptance of different cultural models must be contained in any form of expression, even in a campaign of a fashion brand. Showing an ambiguous body that embodies a different standard of beauty means celebrate each individual, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. Piccioli knows it well, and he knew he was taking a risk but “change is possible, I knew it would not be easy but I am ready to face difficulties in the name of freedom, love, tolerance and growth,” he wrote. Intent as laudable as necessary.
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