Subject Eye

Farewell, Anna Piaggi

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.

-Friedrich Nietzche

I was always the type of kid that drew outside the lines in the coloring book. There was more freedom in the space outside the constraint of borders and edges. I tend to be attracted to people who not only march to the beat of a different drummer, but who do so unabashedly and unapologetically. This could absolutely be said of the fashion icon, writer and muse Anna Piaggi. I was fortunate to see Ms. Piaggi casually walking down a street in Milan during a Fashion Week years ago. This was such a memorable thrill for me.

I know I’m not alone in my sadness on hearing that Piaggi had died last week at the age of 81. At Vogue Italia, she was an editor of hundreds of editorial spreads, contributed to many other fashion journals and was a muse to fashion legends Karl Lagerfeld and milliner Stephen Jones. Actively selecting not only beautiful and historically significant clothing and accessories for five decades, she honed her distinctive style into a consistent cultivation that remained fearless and incomparable.  

We may not all wish to make music, dance or create art, but we all must put on clothes. It can sometimes be done with great discernment. For Anna Piaggi, it was a passion that was akin to art. She stated that all of the items in her vast wardrobe were purchased with serious consideration and never out of impulse. She also was a proponent of dressing stylishly with economy, reinforcing the fact that style is something individual and singular, on which a price tag cannot be hung. Her expressive looks may have spoken volumes to some. For me, they felt quietly reassuring even as they clearly stated, “Be unique”. For Anna Piaggi, everyday dress was a physical manifestation of well-curated personal chic, elevated to the sublime. 

Anna Piaggi at the Givenchy show in Paris, 2008. Photo by Eric Ryan.

Anna in Milan at the Missoni Menswear show in 2012. Photo by Jacopo Raule.  

Special thanks to @Kim Wiegel.