Antinoo
ANTINOO is my Master’s thesis at IUAV Venice, exploring the evolution of fashion film — a topic largely overlooked in Italian literature. To bridge that gap, I combined theoretical research with practice, culminating in an original fashion film created in collaboration with designer Filippo Soffiati.
Date
2015
Role
Art Direction
Antinoo is a short, non-narrative fashion film
Together with designer Filippo Soffiati, we selected two standout outfits — one red, one blue — originally created for the “Lineapelle for Leather Talents” project, curated by Vogue Italia. Inspired by the seabed, the masked characters appear to emerge from the ocean depths, adorned with materials evoking erosion, algae, shells, and coral. The looks were showcased at Palazzo Morando during Milan Fashion Week, alongside work from top Italian fashion schools.
Two outfits
Together with designer Filippo Soffiati, we selected two standout outfits — one red, one blue — originally created for the “Lineapelle for Leather Talents” project, curated by Vogue Italia. Inspired by the seabed, the masked characters appear to emerge from the ocean depths, adorned with materials evoking erosion, algae, shells, and coral. The looks were showcased at Palazzo Morando during Milan Fashion Week, alongside work from top Italian fashion schools.
textures and fabrics
From the start, the film set out to highlight the richness and layering of materials on the body — rare leathers, furs, and feathers in deep blue tones. Velvet and sheer organza created contrasts of light and density, while coral accents hinted at exposed flesh. A study in stratification and fragile balance, where textures enclose and reveal.
Antinoo’s Last Breath
In 130 AD, Antinoo — Emperor Hadrian’s young lover — mysteriously drowned in the Nile. Whether accident, suicide, or sacrifice, his death remains unsolved. Over time, his image became a symbol of male beauty and queerness in Western art and literature.
Moodboard
Concept
Like an underwater excavation, textures and surfaces are revealed one by one. This tactile journey uncovers precious materials — leather, feathers, velvet — each layered to form organic, living garments. The outfits wrap the body like erosions on a submerged statue, evoking mystery and transformation.
More than any material, water is the true medium of metamorphosis — where surfaces merge, dissolve, and come alive.
Soundtrack and water effects
I composed the soundtrack by blending water sounds recorded in Venice with samples from Amon Tobin, Yakamoto Kotzuga, Shlohmo, and Max Cooper, while underwater light effects were recreated using macroscopic water imagery, glass tanks, and subtle digital animation to connect the garments to the seabed and evoke tactile sensations.
