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On the Street....Anna Piaggi, Milano

 
 
 
 
 















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Wednesday, March 12, 2008

On the Street....Anna Piaggi, Milano

Comments on "On the Street....Anna Piaggi, Milano"

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (10:10 AM) : 

i didn't know this lady was a fashion icon until i looked her up ( i have much to learn..). would it be sacriligeous to say that i'm not fond of this work? i'd have liked to see her on the street with teh blue hair and cap but less distraction on the body..but that would be MY style and NOT hers, i'm just saying... Well,at least she is not boring and we can tell that her passion is fashion! people with funk are ok on my list.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (10:14 AM) : 

This is from Wiki lest anybody think she is just a crazy old woman

"Anna Piaggi is an Italian fashion writer and style icon.

Anna Piaggi has written for fashion magazines such as the Italian edition of Vogue and, in the 1980s, the avant-garde magazine Vanity. She is known especially for double page spreads in the Italian Vogue, where her artistic flair has been given free expression in a montage of images and text, with layout by Luca Stoppini. Since 1969, she has used a bright red manual Olivetti typewriter for her work.

Piaggi has a large clothes collection, including 2865 dresses and 265 pairs of shoes, according to a 2006 exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. She dresses in an exuberant, unique and eclectic way, never appearing in the same outfit more than once in public. Such is her influence and knowledge in the fashion world, Manolo Blahnik has dubbed her 'The world's last great authority on frocks'."

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (10:16 AM) : 

I know she's a fashion icon, but she looks just scary...clothes are really cool, but her make up...oh my god! she looks like a theatre character from an absurd dramatic composition, the crazy old lady which still thinks is young, walking on the street with very read lips, hoping to find a young man but depressed that all men avoid her. In Bucharest, there are a lot of old & single ladies, walking their dogs or cats in the morning or in the evening, maked-up like in their good days, but simply looking patetic now. but anna piaggi is fascinating because she made it: nobody tells her that is trying too hard...why?

 

Blogger rheak said ... (10:29 AM) : 

Hello fellow Bucharestian. :D I love that she's fun to look at and clearly unafraid of what people think. Always was always will be.

 

Blogger Karmander said ... (10:32 AM) : 

I WANT... those gloves. hair color too, but first...the gloves.

 

Blogger Super Milk-Chan said ... (10:49 AM) : 

I love her. She is clearly having fun with her clothes, and that is what fashion should be all about. I bet she makes people smile where ever she goes. Who wouldn't be instantly cheered up by a rainbow crossing your path? The coat is a bit strange, like a couch from the 70's, but I don't hate it.
I especially love her hair. I've been considering dying mine pink again, but worried I was too old to do it anymore. I guess you're only too old if you feel like you're too old. :)

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (10:50 AM) : 

i dont think she is keen to hook on guys. please. seriously. she is eccentric. i love fashion because of people like her

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (10:57 AM) : 

Because I didn't know who she was, she must have always looked like this. Picasso never looked like Picasso until he was in his 70s, and for it's the same with this lady. She must live squarely in the present. What style, and what courage. Bravo!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (10:57 AM) : 

I love Anna Piaggi, and sure you might think she's 'trying too hard' but this is her, and how she dresses every single day of her life whether it be to a fashion event or to the shops.

She is a legend and a style icon, and could never be replaced.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (11:02 AM) : 

Her clothes, hair, and makeup make me think she probably has some amazing life stories.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (11:13 AM) : 

I saw this really stylish older woman walking down the street with blue hair and I thought wow she looks great what excellent personal style. I didn't realise this was who she was. I want to dress like that when I'm her age!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (11:19 AM) : 

I adore Anna! Who wants to be a boring lady d'une certain age in polyester elastic waist pants and big blobby orthopedic shoes when you can look incredible like this! She is a marvelous fashion heroine for me and I would kill to see her closet. Thanks, Sart!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (11:37 AM) : 

Trying too hard says it all...but I suppose one could give her snaps for having the courage of her convictions. Essentially, she clearly dresses to entertain herself and others--but I wouldn't be caught dead like this. It reminds me of a page in an old Curious George book, where the lively monkey runs amuck with paint. As we say in the south, "Poor dear."

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (11:46 AM) : 

amazing !!!

 

Blogger lara said ... (11:49 AM) : 

she is a character

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (11:57 AM) : 

I think she's wonderful. There is nothing more satisfying than to see someone of a 'certain' age who flips the bird to the ridiculous conventions of wearing nothing but beige and nude lipstick after the age of 40. I would be delighted to see her on the street.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (12:02 PM) : 

To be sincere, i don't like how she's dressed...she looks like a theather mask...I appreciate people who dress in an eclectic way, but in this case, i think she's has gone beyond limits...

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (12:06 PM) : 

i think she's fabulous. a sight for sore eyes.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (12:15 PM) : 

anonymous 10:16 AM, I think your comment is sexist. Obviously this lady is not dressed in order to catch a man, rather she is using fashion as a way to be creative and to express herself.

In addition, to suggest that her 'good days' are behind her is agist, misogynist and simply wrong. Anna Piaggi is an artist, and a very successful and a famous one at that.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (12:15 PM) : 

I hope I can still be having this much fun in 45 years, too.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (12:19 PM) : 

I always love her boldness and use of color, but I just can't get past the fur. A woman like this can pull anything off. The use of fur just seems so unnecessary...

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (12:25 PM) : 

anna! my hero. if only our entire existence was a fantastical as she...

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (12:28 PM) : 

I wish she'd lighten up a bit!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (12:34 PM) : 

I don't care who she is. This lady would most certainly scare little bambini.

 

Blogger Cassaundra said ... (12:52 PM) : 

i am particularly fond of her hat, and her inspired use of color.

what a lady.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (1:16 PM) : 

Anna Piaggi in a world of grey, gray, and more grey. Hooray!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (1:35 PM) : 

She is such an inspiration! I hope that if I reach that age, I can duplicate the blue hair!! She looks like she is having so much fun, that is what fashion is to me. I've been in an all black phase, time to add some color!

 

Blogger Craig said ... (1:46 PM) : 

she is the ultimate fashion god.

 

Blogger riodjomama said ... (1:57 PM) : 

AWESOME.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (2:08 PM) : 

Absolutely ADORE her.

 

Blogger ellastica said ... (2:51 PM) : 

anyone remember the show "Are you being Served"?
Perhaps Molly Sugden's colorfully cheeky character Mrs. Slocombe was inspired by Miss Anna? esp the rainbow hair.
I think the coat is kinda drab, in a used couch sort of way. I do love her
chambray/leather purse tho. very chic!

 

Blogger Jane Flanagan said ... (2:53 PM) : 

Eccentrics push the limits, spearhead new trends and patronize some of the most avant garde designers.

Rebellion against the guild, or any form of stodgy institutionalism, stops style stagnating. Think of Isabella Blow or the Marchesa Casati.

I may not want to dress like this, but I still admire the role she plays in the style world. Especially since she plays it with such integrity.

 

Blogger Ullis said ... (3:21 PM) : 

I know that she's a fashion icon, but I can't help it... she looks horrible!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (5:05 PM) : 

holy hell, she looks like fun!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (5:35 PM) : 

her knack for colour and pattern in fashion rivals matisse's in painting

 

Blogger india flint said ... (5:45 PM) : 

and hey, at least she ain't dull! ...when my hair eventually turns white I'll be dyeing it too, but using pansies instead of synthetic magic...

 

Blogger Celia said ... (6:07 PM) : 

I love her and Isabella Blow so much--these women are real icons. I want to be having as much fun with fashion as Piaggi when I'm at that age.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (6:09 PM) : 

Maybe its just what she was wearing that day when the photograph was taken but when i saw that picture the circus popped into my head. But I give her my all for having the COURAGE to walk around the street like that and still have a faboulous pout at that age! Bravo!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (6:14 PM) : 

I love her commitment! She has vibrant colors from her hair to her cane and all the way down to the tips of her scarf! To me, this much attention to detail is what personal style is all about.

 

Blogger Danika said ... (6:14 PM) : 

I plan to dress like this when I become her age.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (6:19 PM) : 

god, i hope i can be even half this fabulous and fun when i am her age. love that the cane matches the lock of blue hair :] and the coat! just wonderful.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (7:26 PM) : 

Fellini: this lady and Yo Sam (see Paris).

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (8:31 PM) : 

i've always enjoyed the COLORFUL'ness of the iconic Madame Piaggi. However, I find it a bit ironic, if not sad, that such a visually colorful character always has a sour look of disdain on her face.

What's the point of wearing color when your facial expression is always frozen into a penetrating scowl?

- Montreality

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (9:01 PM) : 

Actually Anna was quite attractive in her younger days. So much so that I have a book, Lagerfeld Scetchbook that has photos of her and sketches of her in her fantastic collection.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (10:17 PM) : 

I don't know why thisi is considered good fashion. It's awful.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (10:45 PM) : 

Sorry , I must not have got my Kool-Aid yet. I'll make sure to drink it before I comment on this "look."

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (10:47 PM) : 

Holy cats, Batman; it's fashion deconstructed!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (11:13 PM) : 

I know she's a world-famous fashion icon, but I always thought she looked a bit of a mess. Then again, everyone has different tastes and mine just tend to favour a more minimalistic approach. Of course she must be commended for the audacity to stay so vibrantly dressed at her age.

However, the one thing that makes this picture worth looking at is that shock of wavy blue hair poking out from beneath her hat - a cool detail in itself. ...If only it were not so clearly destroyed from years of hair dye and abuse.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (12:16 AM) : 

I love this--it's so inspiring to see someone immerse themselves in all that defines pure fashion-- the extension of the individual. She regards popsicle colored prints paired with florals, allowing a curl of cotton candy hued hair to spring loose from the cap and help illuminate, in all its brightness, her seemingly eccentric personality.

 

Blogger Unknown said ... (12:23 AM) : 

one of the last of the great fashion eccentrics!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (2:18 AM) : 

if you don't understand icons like anna piaggi- and i don't mean like it, just understand it- you do not belong on a fashion blog. she is exquisite.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (3:45 AM) : 

Its so annoying to read all these comments about her makeup being "too Much" and hair, and such. She's fabulous. Get over yourselves. There are no rules to expressing yourself via fashion. She is incredible. I understand that at first glance, the look may appear a little "jumbled", but after a moment you notice the detail of everything about this woman and this look and you realize it's amarvelous. It all fits. And besides, what makeup are you "supposed" to waer with this outfit. I say nothing short of what's on her rosy little face. She's inspirational! Brava Anna!

 

Blogger Unknown said ... (6:18 AM) : 

anonymous @2:18 maybe this would be the start of a learning curve for some. just because you don't understand all the nuances of a subject doesn't mean you don't "belong on a fashion blog" not all sartorialists and -istas are born athena-like, fully formed in their knowledge of references and permutations of the history of fashion. maybe you should try a little more tolerance for others who might just have a different frame of reference than you :)

 

Blogger Chi-Chi and the Greek Vintage said ... (8:27 AM) : 

We worship at her feet!!!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (8:42 AM) : 

I might have to stop reading the comments. Some of you seem to accept anything as stylish if it's on the right person.

If you walked into a store and a woman dressed like this was trying to advise you on style, would you listen? It's like going to a hair stylist with a bad 'do.

She looks like the homeless woman who lives in the park where I catch the bus.

-rdhd

 

Blogger Benji said ... (11:03 AM) : 

Frightening.
The way you can't really make out her eyes...

 

Blogger momo said ... (11:12 AM) : 

Freedom! If I must walk with a cane, let it be a blue cane that goes with my hair an my rainbow ruff!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (1:00 PM) : 

It's just crazy enough to work!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (1:33 PM) : 

she has a wicked sense of humor, can't stop laughing!

 

Blogger David-Alexandre said ... (2:20 PM) : 

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE

 

Blogger Sugatroll said ... (2:53 PM) : 

You go girl!!!!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (3:04 PM) : 

Goodness gracious me!!!

 

Blogger pili said ... (3:25 PM) : 

i think it may be a little bit crazy but she can!! i admire that she resists the aging clichés. i just wish i had the guts to do it now!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (3:44 PM) : 

This is not style, just need to attract attention.
People don't want to be critic because she is who she is. I'm sorry, she could be the Queen of Englad, but I can't understand it.

If she is expressing herself, I don't like what she is saying.

 

Blogger Scott W said ... (5:15 PM) : 

Can you say eccentric?

 

Blogger Unknown said ... (7:23 PM) : 

When I grow up, I want to look Just Like That!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (8:22 PM) : 

I would just love to see what's hiding under that coat. I thought the blue cane complimented the whole ensemble. Why limit yourself when there is a smorgesbord of colour available.

 

Blogger liz song mandell said ... (9:18 PM) : 

WOW

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (10:18 PM) : 

If not at her age, when should she be able to dress in an unconventional, over the top manner?

An anonymous post said that she is always scowling; i would venture that a straight face keeps this look in regal territory.

 

Blogger secondvurss said ... (11:13 PM) : 

ive never heard of her before this post, but i like her style. it's chaotic...

 

Blogger The Sartorialist said ... (11:26 PM) : 

for rdhd
this is what drives me crazy about some comments

you make a reasonable point but why do you have to ruin it by saying something stupid at the end?

it is like some people can't just make a critique without turning the knife - like if it doesn't hurt a little then it wasn't strong enough.

in the future continue to make good comments like this but before you start to go nasty just hit "publish your comment" and we can all be the better for it.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (7:55 AM) : 

Scott,

What is your response to this all-too-typical attitude from one of the other commenters? "If you don't understand icons like anna piaggi- and i don't mean like it, just understand it- you do not belong on a fashion blog. she is exquisite."

Would if have been okay for me to say she looked like an "exquisitely stylish bad lady"? I fear it would be.


-rdhd

 

Blogger Leah said ... (11:50 AM) : 

Anna Piagi is a genius who deserves your humblest respect. She has done more for the fashion industry than all of us put together. She is not the person serving you in a shop and she is not the Queen of England. She moves in a world where she is able to express herself in her perfectly inimitable way. I find it laughable that anyone compare her to a homeless person IN DIOR. She is what moves us forward.

And please , no more comments about her age.

 

Blogger ladyfresh said ... (3:07 PM) : 

A human being always deserves your humblest respect. Many people move through through the world in inimitable ways. To some Anna resembles a well dressed homeless person. To some this would insult the homeless. To me her vehicle of expression is wonderfully chaotic. To you I hope you can appreciate this aesthetic sensibility more than a sole fashion icon in designer trappings

 

Blogger The Sartorialist said ... (7:46 PM) : 

for rdhd
are you really asking why is is not nice to call someone a "bad lady"?

you don't have to like or understand her but you can be nice about it, right?

like i said before I thought your comment was fine until the last line

didn't you feel you expressed your point without adding the last line?

 

Blogger The Spicers said ... (8:55 PM) : 

Absolutely fabulous!!!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (3:45 AM) : 

She is theatre. Not enough around really.

 

Blogger Amicacarmilla said ... (8:10 AM) : 

anna piaggi - a work of art.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (12:10 PM) : 

THIS WILL BE THE LAST WORD ON THE LADY: somebody has the best Nonna in the world.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (2:59 PM) : 

I don't really care what her name is or what she does for a living. Personally, I don't like it. Or understand it. But before I'm told I "don't belong on a fashion blog", let me say this: if she can not only get away with looking like this in public, but earn the open adoration of people on this blog for it, I feel much better about my own fashion choices. She obviously wears whatever she wants, regardless of anyone's opinion, and that is the inspiration I take from this photo.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (6:40 PM) : 

Sart,

Didn't you expect controversy when you posted this photo? Some people are not going to understand where this fits into the history and spirit of fashion, and a bitchy comment almost seems inevitable.

I always cringe a little when you chastise your commentors - they aren't children, and trying to enforce a 'nice comments only' policy on a site devoted to fashion seems pointless and slightly ridiculous.

You are a great photographer ... no need to be the Polite Police, too.

 

Blogger The Sartorialist said ... (11:50 PM) : 

again
I don't understand why you cannot grasp this simple concept - you don't have to like the look, you don't have to agree with the look or if it inspires you or not

But

there is no reason that the discussion cannot be handled in a respectful way

the internet has become something of a Wild West where people think they say anything they want but that won't happen here.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (1:34 AM) : 

thanks, Scott, it's so refreshing that you realize the importance of respect.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (3:07 PM) : 

This picture actually made me nostalgic for my Nan; she always stated (for theatrical effect mostly) "Life is a world of colours". It is easy to visualise Ms. Piaggi pointing her crayola blue walking stick at a hemline and demanding to it be raised an inch.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (8:21 PM) : 

This is a look that requires more consideration than is always apparent. Only a true visionary could carry this wildly eccentric, flamboyant mix of confections with such moxie, such verve, and such humour.Doesn't she make you smile? I think she is wonderful.

D.

 

Blogger Hilda said ... (6:23 AM) : 

I'm sorry, I know she's a fashion icon and all, but I abhor the look!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (9:54 AM) : 

The colours and textures and combinations of her clothes exhibit a joie de vivre which is not obvious from her expression. I'd like her if she smiled more.

She needs to exhibit a sense of humour if she's going to dress to attract this much attention. It's like me trying to pull of a straight face with a model-ship on my head.

 

Blogger Jenny Miller said ... (11:57 AM) : 

This is how Carrie Bradshaw might look in 40 years if she keeps it up...

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (12:00 AM) : 

would never thought of putting those pieces together!!!I still have lots to learn

 

Blogger ShowPony said ... (5:53 PM) : 

In the words of the late and fabulous Leigh Bowery, "Dress as though your life depends on it or don't do it at all!"

 

Blogger ShowPony said ... (5:58 PM) : 

In the words of the late and wonderful Leigh Bowery, "Dress as though your life depends on it, or don't do it at all!" Bravo Anna!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (4:43 AM) : 

i just went to a seminar which featured Zandra Rhodes as a guestspeaker. Anna Piaggi here reeminded me of this. i think these icons come alive when they are also viewed in the context of their work and contirubution to the fashion world. if i was that great, i too would walk the streets looking like a loon!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (5:41 PM) : 

We need to have people like Anna Piaggi to remember us to let it go and be ourselves no matter what.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (7:58 PM) : 

I've no idea who Anna Piaggi is. That said, at first glance I thought she looked like a bag lady from San Francisco. Then I went back, and figured out that the coat with fur was the piece that gave me that impression. I like everything except for that coat... to me it looks like a bathrobe. In the end, though, I hope I'm that adventurous and plucky in my later years.

 

Anonymous Ljerka-Susanna-Lukic said ... (11:56 AM) : 

DRAMATIC!!!
Susan,Designer&Writer
Toronto

 

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