Shirt – Ermenegildo Zegna Couture. Necklace – Stylist’s own.
Anyone who has opened a menswear magazine over the last two years is probably no stranger to Sven de Vries, the young Dutch model who has gone from a string of top shows during his first season in June 2014 (Prada, Louis Vuitton, Dior Homme, Y-3) to near ubiquity in the industry. Still, photographer Giorgio Codazzi and stylist Emil Rebek managed to find a new side to de Vries for a series of portraits shot for the “New Vocabulary of Italian Fashion” art exhibition at the Triennale di Milano and now published exclusively here on Models.com. “I saw Sven for the first time in the Dior Homme campaign,” recalls Codazzi, “and I immediately liked him. I wanted him for this project.”
All clothing – Ermenegildo Zegna Couture | Necklace – Stylist’s own.
The classic black-and-white portraits portray de Vries as an arbiter of elegance, with a purity and cleanliness of vision. Codazzi says that, in contrast to the usual fashion editorial, it was de Vries himself who helped shape the direction of the story. “We did not have a precise concept for the story at the beginning,” says Codazzi. “We started with the casting, we chose the model, and then we built a fashion story on him. We wanted feeling and strength in the photographs.”
Coat, pants, and foulards (worn as wristbands) – Ermenegildo Zegna Couture | Tank top – Lanvin | Necklace – Stylist’s own
De Vries says that, even with all his practice in front of the camera, working with Codazzi offered a unique experience. “This project was totally different in the sense that there was not a client or a commercial need, so it was, without sounding pretentious, a real art experience,” he explains. “I feel totally honored to have been chosen. To be a part of this exhibition is totally insane for me, a young guy from Holland on the walls of such a cool exhibit is just crazy.”
Codazzi agrees that the freedom of the commission offered a chance for artistic independence that can be rare in his usual work. “It was very different. I like to work on personal projects because I have no constraints,” he says. “Often for magazines, I’m not a real artist, while here I can express myself much better.”
Photographer – Giorgio Codazzi | Stylist – Emil Rebek
Model – Sven de Vries | Grooming – Astor Hoxha
Photographer’s assistants – Riccardo Ferri and Alessandro Vullo
Stylist’s assistant – Nicolò Andreoni | Digital operator – Lorenzo Mascher
Left: Coat and polo shirt – Fendi | Pants – Lanvin | Foulard (worn as wristband) – Stylist’s own | Right: Jacket – Salvatore Ferragamo
Jacket and pants – Lanvin | Foulard (worn as wristband) and necklace – Stylist’s own
