“Falling in love in Italy” is the official title of the 19th Lavazza Calendar, a statement that Lavazza has been proudly promoting for years, thanks to a succession of international photographers asked to give their personal, unique interpretations of the “Belpaese”.
CUPID—cover
Presented to the international press in Milan in October, the Lavazza Calendar is proving to be a cult item for collectors and photography enthusiasts from all over the world. Following on the great values of Italy depicted in Annie Leibovitz’ edition in 2009, and the theme of famous Italian songs interpreted by Miles Aldridge in 2010, it is Mark Seliger, the famous American celebrity photographer, who has been asked to immortalise the essence of Italianess.
CAPRI—January/February
The topic of “Amore”—more specifically, falling in love in Italy, is one of those original, unusual themes that are challenging for a photographer but can also bring out his personality and style. Lavazza has once again chosen to talk about Italian style because, in Italy, as it says in the Calendar, “perhaps there’s something in the air that ignites passion. Or maybe it’s the beauty of the scenery and the architecture which naturally arouses that most noble of sentiments: love.”
NAPLES—March/April
In the shots taken for 2011, Seliger captures the romantic, sensual mood of a lovers’ meeting: the symbolic, aesthetic beauty of falling in love in a country where everything is art—especially through the eyes of a couple in love, or a talented photographer. Seliger portrays love in an immediate, playful way, experimenting with classic Italian landscapes, making humour an atmosphere that can be felt in every shot, through an immediate photographic style that is universally comprehensible.
VERONA—May/June
Among the models portrayed in the 2011 Calendar, one couple stood out: the American actress Olivia Wilde and her husband, film director Tao Ruspoli, stars of the Capri picture. Apart from that famous couple, the other models on the shoot were Bill Gentle, a funny Cupid who adorns the cover page and is also found on the last picture that concludes the “story” told by Seliger, while the six Calendar pictures feature the faces of Monica Castillo, Enrique Palacios, Noot Seear, Cedric Bihr, Liliana Dominguez, Alessandro Giallocosta, Violet Budd, Jeisa Chiminazzo and Ivan Olita.
TUSCANY—July/August
VENICE—September/October
FLORENCE—November/December