Walter Albini on the Nuances of Camp

Abstract

Four decades after the death of Walter Albini, this study proposes a monograph based on archival research at the CSAC, Center for Studies and Archives of Communication at the University of Parma, focusing on the figure of the stylist Walter Albini, recognized as the precursor of prêt-à-porter. Through archival research, the author explores one of the most significant archives of the stylist, consisting of 4191 heterogeneous materials. Focusing on the men's collection Fall-Winter 1975-1976, presented at the Ristorante Angolo in Milan in March 1975, the analysis reveals the pioneering concept of gender introduced by Albini, highlighting an identity short circuit with the model Emy Vincenzini. In the second part, the author analyzes the concept of Camp, following the paths opened by Christopher Breward and the theorizations of Susan Sontag. It examines the citation of the Twenties and Thirties, the passion for Art Nouveau, the interest in the figure of the dandy and Marlene Dietrich, as well as the sensitivity to the aesthetics of the androgynous. Through a camp perspective, Albini emerges as a creator who subverts binary gender conventions, emphasizing identity transformations during his fashion shows.

Keywords

• fashion
• gender
• camp
• fashion shows
• walter albini