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Viva la Vida
A colorful, vibrant life
Words Alessandra Albarello
30/03/2022
Bold shapes and vibrant colours celebrating light and art. Breath. Audacious, optimistic and free.
Frida Kahlo's final painting depicts a juicy slice of watermelon on which, in addition to her signature, the words 'Viva La Vida' are inscribed, followed by 'Coyoacan 1954 Mexico'. The Mexican artist, exhausted by the many surgeries she underwent during her troubled life, died on 13 July of the same year. In reality, it would appear that the painting had been completed some time earlier, but the fact that Frida Kahlo decided to send a specific message with a specific date just a few days before her death speaks volumes about her positive attitude towards life.
In spite of it all. Here we are. We start here, with the vivid colours of Frida Kahlo's art that were also reflected in her clothing and original floral hairstyles, from the shadows of the garden plants on the indigo walls of Casa Azul and the rarefied, sultry air of Mexico. In other words, summer. Not only in the sense of the season, but also as a symbol of lightness, freedom and breath. Of light and art. The place of the soul. Just like the non-conformist world evoked by Loewe Paula's Ibiza, which celebrates the carefree lifestyle of an eternal holiday on the sunny Balearic island, the symbol of a hippy way of life, unconventional and timeless. Where anything goes and you can dare to accessorize boldly, like the LW40088U flower-eyes in vibrant colours that quench your thirst and are refreshing just to look at, in their yellow, coral and cactus green...
Another flower that has blossomed out of an iconic New York brand is A-Morir by Kerin Rose Gold, whose creations are now worn by famous rock stars. So, Springfield is a bold, dreamlike flower, encircled by crystals and petals made of lucite, a translucent plastic material often used for costume jewellery, especially that made in America in the 1940s and 50s. The large format and the abundance of crystals make this model particularly dazzling and joyful. But most of all unique.
Uniqueness also characterises the Dulcis sunglasses from Swarovski Eyewear by Marcolin (in the opening picture). It is not by chance that, during the third night of the last Sanremo Festival, they were worn (and never taken off) by rapper, Dargen D'Amico, whose song 'Dove si balla' has become the latest Italian hit. A pop shape that is suppled and sculpted at the same time, always reminiscent of a flower (but, to be honest, also of a gummy sweet, especially the pink version), with mirrored lenses and frames and a single, large crystal set into the temples, the brand's unmistakable signature. A perfect blend of cuteness and brazenness.
Flowers were also a must on the new Gucci pendant attached to the temple tips. A must-have accessory that revolutionises the design and aesthetic principles of glasses, redefining the minimalist mood of the rimless GG1149S model. For their Lou Lou model, Saint Laurent have opted for another iconic shape, the heart. Naturally, our thoughts immediately turn to the glasses worn by Lolita, the heroine of Stanley Kubrick's 1962 film based on Nabokov's novel... Yet, it's the irony that makes the difference, as Saint Laurent's hearts veer more towards bold, asymmetrical cat-eye shapes and the versions in transparent yellow and pink are unsettling.
Meanwhile, Salvatore Ferragamo's new unisex model, SF1046S, also comes in full-on shocking pink and green colours, offering solid, intense and vibrant colours in addition to the classic black, white and red tortoise. Sending a powerful message of courage and optimism. So, what more is there to say? Viva La Vida...