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DANCING TIDES
*with Simone Emili
written CHIDOZIE OBASI
Simone Emili’s first approach to dance was quite unusual, and came almost by chance. “I was about ten years old, a very hyperactive kid, and I felt the need to practice a sport, but I couldn’t really find one that I saw myself in,” he tells LE MILE’s Fashion Director, Chidozie Obasi. “There was one thing, however, that came naturally to me: in every sport I tried, in moments of rest, I always ended up dancing.”
Simone wears a vest by FEDERICO CINA and pants by ISSEY MIYAKE MEN
Simone wears a cardigan by FIVEFOURFIVE, a tank top by SANDRO, a skirt by ACT N1, and pants by SETCHU
From then on, he never stopped: at first, it was simply a hobby, something that spontaneously became a part of his daily routine. Then, during adolescence, he began to understand that it could become much more. “I completely changed my mindset and approach: dance became a tool for transforming my body, my mind, and, ultimately, the person I am today.”
Emili believes that today, the relationship between fashion, expression, and dance is at its peak. “There’s an increasingly perceptible mutual contamination between these worlds, which now communicate naturally and continuously,” he reflects. “It’s as if they were a single form of expression: one doesn’t exclude the other, but rather complements it. Where there’s fashion, there’s also movement; and movement, ultimately, is the very essence of dance. Fashion, in my opinion, is a form of dance: it communicates through the body, lines, and attitude. Likewise, dance embodies an aesthetic, a sense of style and expression that deeply resonates with the language of fashion.”
The emotions Emili felt during the shoot were bountiful, but what struck him most was the stark contrast between them. “Wearing six different looks, I felt like I was experiencing six distinct emotional states,” he says. “Each outfit transported me to a different atmosphere, almost a new environment, capable of evoking specific sensations: from harmony to elegance, even a kind of anger,” he explains. “All these emotions then became part of my performance in front of the camera. It was precisely this emotional journey that allowed me to face a long and intense day with energy and awareness. My goal was to create a contrast between the looks: not just an outfit change, but a transformation of my entire personality time after time.”
Simone wears a cardigan by FIVEFOURFIVE, a shirt by CANAKU, shorts by HED MAYNER, and shoes by AQVA ALTA
Simone wears a cardigan by TOMMY HILFIGER, a shirt by BOSS, pants by MOSCHINO, shoes by SEBAGO, and jewellery by N21
Simone wears a sweater by MORDECAI, a shirt by MANUEL RITZ, pants by ACT N1, and shoes by BEPOSITIVE
Simone wears a total look by MOSCHINO
Simone wears a cardigan by TOMMY HILFIGER, a shirt by BOSS, pants by MOSCHINO, shoes by SEBAGO, and jewellery by N21
photography
COSIMO BUCCOLIERI via
STUDIO REPOSSI
fashion director and stylist CHIDOZIE OBASI
head of production JESSICA LOVATO
fashion coordination ALBERTO MICHISANTI + EDWARD PUSCA
make up DIANA DJURDJEVSKI via STUDIO REPOSSI
makeup assistant ANGELA CAMMALLERI
hair AMERICO TURTORO via MKS MILANO
model SIMONE EMILI
photography assistant ANTONIO CROTTI
fashion assistants ANGELINA PERSIANI + CHARISSE ORDINARIA + SIMONA VERNAZZA + SOFIA FARINA + VALENTINA INVERARDI + VINCENZO VITELLO + THEA OLOFSSON ROWCLIFFE
fashion director and stylist CHIDOZIE OBASI
head of production JESSICA LOVATO
fashion coordination ALBERTO MICHISANTI + EDWARD PUSCA
make up DIANA DJURDJEVSKI via STUDIO REPOSSI
makeup assistant ANGELA CAMMALLERI
hair AMERICO TURTORO via MKS MILANO
model SIMONE EMILI
photography assistant ANTONIO CROTTI
fashion assistants ANGELINA PERSIANI + CHARISSE ORDINARIA + SIMONA VERNAZZA + SOFIA FARINA + VALENTINA INVERARDI + VINCENZO VITELLO + THEA OLOFSSON ROWCLIFFE
credits
all Images (c) LE MILE
and Cosimo Buccolieri