In these cold winter months our thoughts often wonder off on journeys filled with sun, sea, free flowing skirts and sea. Thank the lord for the fashion industry’s slightly different seasonal agenda, slowly but surely unraveling its spring/summer ’15 campaign imagery in the weeks to come, helping us bridging the gap elegantly, between what is and what soon will be.
Over the past week I have been feeling incredibly “sunny” so to speak, watching one summery movie after the next. I also saw Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon’s Trip to Italy, which follows the incredibly funny and literary strong couple of friends around their trip to Italy’s finest spots. Their Mini Cooper takes them over scenic routes to some of the most idyllic restaurants and hotels of Italy. They end up in Capri, on a boat tour around the island, passing the infamous Villa Malaparte. The location of many a fashion campaigns, editorials and most famously for its major part in Jean-Luc Godard’s Comtempt/Le Mépris featuring a Brigitte Bardot at her very, very best, simply put: beyond beautiful. The movie itself is a classic, supremely stylish and every bit worth watching – if only for the location.
“Casa Malaparte is a red masonry box with reverse pyramidal stairs leading to the roof patio. On the roof is a freestanding curving white wall of increasing height. It sits on a dangerous cliff 32 meters above the sea overlooking the Gulf of Salerno. Access to this private property is either by foot from the Town of Capri or by boat and a staircase cut into the cliff.” – Wikipedia.
Now who could dream of anything more fantastic than a villa, literally parked right on a rock, surrounded by only water, trees and the most spectacular view? Villa Malaparte was built in 1938 and has since become somewhat an iconic location and plays a very important part in Italian Architecture. Kaiser Karl (Lagerfeld) agrees and has dedicated an entire book about the beauty of this place.
Never having been to this magical location I can only dream one day a boat might take me past this legend, with its bold and rusty red tones and majestic feel to it. Until that day arrives, I can have this video on loop for at least the rest of winter!
