FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Having lived abroad until the age of 18 I escaped the relentless but very British passion for football. And until I met my husband a few years ago, I was able to blissfully ignore the shouting, grotesque commentators, inarticulate managers and players, the hordes of fans who are football’s worst advertisements and the tabloids’ obsession with bird-brained overpaid boys. I sometimes fantasize that football doesn’t exist. But now that I’m a full-time London resident there is no escaping… All I can do is close the door, wear earplugs and ignore the chanting of obscenities and the howls of disappointment (he supports Liverpool and they’re so ridiculously shit they never win)! So when a game started recently, I hid in the kitchen with my Mac and discovered the exceptionally beautiful and lyrical work of Cécile Bortoletti. Her fashion photography presents a kind of slow paced soft realism, marked by imaginative depth and a sweetness of tone reminiscent of David Hamilton. Her visual ideas clearly reflect the influence of cinema in the way she constructs a semblance of narrative often focusing on personal intimacy and authenticity. Her work definitely speaks to me. I love its mysterious and poetical story lines, the lighting and colours, the framing and settings. She plays with moods, challenging the viewer with ambiguous productions where the clothes take second place. Her pictures are like exquisite gems and you’ll know exactly what I mean once you’ve looked at them!
Cécile Bortoletti lives and works in Paris. She has collaborated with Bless, Charles Anastase, Margiela and Issey Miyake. Her pictures have been published in Self Service, Purple, Big, Jalouse etc.

All pictures from The Fashion Spot and Cécile Bortoletti