November 7, 2024 |
Picture a plain black backdrop. At its centre, Monica Bellucci sits pretty, wrapped in a barely-there LBD; her obsidian locks coiffed into a devil-may-care up-do, eyes rimmed with kohl and a lit cigarette in her mouth. It’s the cover of a brilliant new book, concisely dubbed Monica By Dolce & Gabbana, and published by Rizzoli.
A truly magnetic figure, the now 60-year-old Italian actress and model is the muse of many, none more than Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce. Seeing her as the embodiment of la dolce vita since their ‘love at first sight’ meeting during a casting session for a fashion show, Bellucci has inspired the Dolce and Gabbana designers time and time again. Her sultry, femme fatale look has seen her cast in a D&G runway show, and the house releasing not only a range of lipsticks but also a best-selling bag inspired by her. This symbiotic relationship culminates in the new tome.
Presented as a large-format, hardback photo book, Monica By Dolce & Gabbana celebrates not only the career and indelible beauty of Bellucci, but the relationship she has shared with the designers, who continue to be inspired by her into the present. Across 320 pages, the tome tells the story of Bellucci, whom it dubs a “contemporary diva”, through advertising campaigns, editorials and some of her most iconic portraits lensed by photography greats. With art direction by Babeth Djian, editor of the French magazine Numéro as well as 12 specially commissioned images of the muse created by Jean-Baptiste Mondino, there’s plenty for the perusal. You can also indulge in two previously unpublished interviews between Bellucci, Mr Dolce and Mr Gabbana. So clear up some space on that coffee table, set aside some time in your schedule and get ready to dive into the legacy of the ever intoxicating Monica Bellucci through the eyes of D&G. Purchase your copy here.
Photography courtesy of Dolce and Gabbana.
