Kehrer Verlag released the book Style is Life by Daniele Tamagni. Documenting street styles and fashion trends, Daniele Tamagni captured the pride and joy of urban communities across the globe to whom fashion is a way to position oneself in a reimagined society. Collecting images of the Congolese sapeurs, Botswana’s Afrometal scene, Bolivian female wrestlers, young dance crews of Johannesburg and more, Style Is Life brings together renowned and unpublished photographs that remind us of the subversive and political value of fashion.
From the Preface by co-curator Chiara Bardelli Nonino:
“(…) Daniele’s images have won a World Press Photo Award, in- spired fashion designers such as Paul Smith and Stella Jean, convinced the demanding jury of the ICP Infinity Award and seduced artists such as Solange Knowles.The list could go on, maintaining its heterogeneity. And if mainstream magazines were unwilling to accept his gaze, Daniele managed to create his own space, capturing the attention of a global audience without their mediation – once again helping to pave the way.
The fashion he was interested in was a form of resistance, a defence and assertion of identity, a radical beauty in uniqueness. You can see it in the Afrometal portraits, his subjects wrapped in leather from head to toe; in the style battles in Joburg, between flamboyant patterns and joyful dancing; in the shots full of dreams and hopes at Dakar Fashion Week; and in the traditional clothes of the Bolivian Flying Cholitas.”
From the Preface by co-curator Aïda Muluneh:
“With every frame of Daniele’s, it’s clear he wasn’t a photographer simply capturing moments detached from the environment or people. He immersed himself in each instant, uniquely positioning himself as a foreign photographer who valued building relationships with subjects. In the present, his images gaze back at me, evoking wonder about the conversations we might have had and the stories he’d have shared as a cultural outsider.(…)
I envision that from his initial journey to Africa until his last, he relentlessly sought to portray a multifaceted Africa. While it’s easy for outsiders to photograph the continent’s challenges, the true challenge lies in portraying its complexities. Daniele under- took a mission to show that Africa is diverse, housing many un- told stories. In my perspective, art revolves around conveying our personal truths. He deliberately focused on individuals at society’s edges, those challenging norms, prioritizing self-affirmation over societal endorsement—trailblazers of their unique journeys. To me, he selected narratives closely aligned with his own heart.”
Daniele Tamagni (1975–2017) studied cultural heritage and obtained an MA from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan, Italy. His move towards professional photography oc- curred in 2007, after receiving the Canon Young Photographer Award, followed by the ICP Infinity Award in 2010 and World Press Photo Award in 2011. As his numerous accomplishments and publications prove, in a short period of time he became a leading photographer. His fight with leukaemia marked the last four years of his life. The Daniele Tamagni Foundation has been established to preserve, value and promote his memory and artistic legacy and to encourage the development of young, talented photographers.
LIVRE
Daniele Tamagni : Style is Life
Kehrer Verlag
Edited by Aïda Muluneh, Chiara Bardelli Nonino Curated by Giordano Tamagni
Texts by Emmanuelle Courrèges, Angelo Ferracuti, Alain Mabanckou, Lekgetho Makola, Gianfranco Maraniello, Véronique Marchand, Gerardo Mosquera, Tommaso Sacchi, Waridi Schrobsdorff, Kwanele Sosibo et al.
Designed by Tomo Tomo
Hardcover with tipped-in plate, 24 x 32 cm 256 pages,148 color ills.
English, Italian
ISBN 978-3-96900-154-7
Euro 58,00 / US$ 55.00
https://www.kehrerverlag.com/en/daniele-tamagni-style-is-life-978-3-96900-154-7?___from_store=de
EXHIBITION
Daniele Tamagni : Style Is Life
February 9 – April 1, 2024
Palazzo Morando
Via Sant’Andrea, 6
20121 Milano MI, Italy
https://www.comune.milano.it/web/palazzo-morando
