29 Arts In Progress

Now on view at Zurich Italia, Via Santa Margherita 11, Milan.

This iconic photograph, captured in Portofino in 1972 by Gian Paolo Barbieri, portrays Susan Robinson wearing Walter Albini.
It represents a pivotal moment in the history of Italian fashion: the encounter between Albini’s visionary genius—father of prêt-à-porter and of the concept of the total look—and Barbieri’s sophisticated, theatrical gaze.

At that time, Albini was revolutionising Italian fashion, bringing it beyond the atelier and transforming it into a contemporary cultural narrative. Barbieri translated that revolution into imagery.
Through a surreal composition — the hair-dryer helmet, the telephone, the sleeping dog, and Portofino as a picturesque backdrop — he elevates the scene into a refined and ironic portrait of its era, anticipating fashion as both language and spectacle.

This collaboration helped define the aesthetics of Made in Italy in the early 1970s, crystallising an image that still speaks of style, innovation, and an Italy capable of reinventing itself through the dialogue of extraordinary creative minds.

© GIAN PAOLO BARBIERI
Susan Robinson for Walter Albini
Portofino, 1972
Courtesy of 29 ARTS IN PROGRESS Gallery, Milan / Fondazione Gian Paolo Barbieri

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Gian Paolo Barbieri ❤️

Lo sapevi che guardare un’opera d’arte per 10 minuti riduce lo stress 💆🏻‍♀️? Noi sì! Per questo, come parte del nostro impegno a proteggere il benessere delle persone, abbiamo aperto la nuova sede Zurich a Milano con un evento speciale: la mostra "Eternal Elegance – The Timeless Photography of Gian Paolo Barbieri”, realizzata in collaborazione con la galleria 29 Arts In Progress. Prenditi una pausa a regola d'arte e passa a trovarci in Via Santa Margherita 11, dal lunedì al venerdì dalle 9:00 alle 18:00. #Zurich