The photos of Franco Fontana become art-à-porter
for the fifth all-denim capsule collection

Out from the vast, seemingly immobile landscapes photographed by Franco Fontana emerges the unstoppable power of life, full of energy and colors. His most intimate photos exude a distinct, all-knowing charm. The storytelling changes but the strong affinity between Fontana’s work and the Sportmax aesthetic endures —fortified after the latter invited Fontana to transform eight of his most impactful works into wearable photographs on Denim Culture collection which has been shot by the photographer himself.

Denim Culture is a project entirely dedicated to jeanswear, whose unique nature is based on a collaboration with various artists from the worlds of music, fashion and art. A capsule collection that is created each season by sharing and exchanging ideas between Sportmax and a leading figure. In the fifth edition, for the SS21 collection, the Denim Culture capsule collection converses with a great, talented photographer from Modena. The photos were reproduced onto various denim garments and a series of t-shirts to afford one the experience of observing a piece of art expertly positioned on clothing. The wearer thus has the pleasure of not only wearing this work of art, but also becoming a living and moving installation of art-à-porter, in the true spirit of Fontana, who said: “Creativity does not illustrate, it actually interprets life.”

Born in Modena in 1933, Franco Fontana is considered one of the most prominent exponents of color photography. Since the 1960s, he has garnered international recognition for his depiction of color, space and shapes and his researched approach to light. His most celebrated series Landscapes was presented in 1970, launching a career trajectory that would take Fontana on an exploration of the urban landscapes of the United States. Through his urban landscapes, Fontana garnered recognition for his interpretation of the human presence told in metaphysical terms. He later immersed himself in the microcosm of asphalt and metropolitan pavement.

Across the board, Fontana’s images animate the collection, awash in an all over print that adorns parkas; ample, half-sleeve jackets; wrap and short, slimfit skirts and soft, roomy pants. The photos are also framed in the front of a sleeveless top with puffy shoulders, a straight miniskirt, a bustier and two dresses: micro and form-fitting, and another flared midi-skirt fashioned with pleats. T-shirts are also fashioned in a similar vein-with ribbed collars and roomy proportions, emblazoned with prints or finished with a framed effect. The gamut of colors commences with light blue and calls to mind the hues of Fontana’s signature works – famous for their swathes of red, sage and emerald green, turquoise and yellow.