Bonotto presents “Private Callas: Dresses and Memorabilia in a Textile Scenery by Bonotto” in its showroom in Via Durini in Milan: an exclusive exhibition curated by Maria Luisa Frisa and Gabriele Monti, dedicated to the celebrated artist.
On the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of the death of Maria Callas, Bonotto presents an exclusive collection of textiles inspired by the elegance of the most famous soprano in the world and the book “Maria Callas: The life of a Diva in Unseen Pictures” published by Roads Publishing.
In collaboration with the publishers Roads, La Rosa Mannequins, Santex Rimar Group and Santa Margherita have created “Private Callas”. Located in the fascinating spaces of via Durini, no. 24, the magical Milanese residence, this show features precious objects coming from the Callas Archive of the Fondazione Progetto Marzotto, so as to recreate a Maria Callas in her both her public and private lives: her daywear is shown together with the prestigious evening wear by Biki, Dior and Saint Laurent, and her precious jewels, her dramatic stage costumes, portraits, photographs and valuable theatre posters all provide testimony of the soprano’s extraordinary opera seasons at the Scala Theatre in Milan. The show in all its facets presents a nuanced image of Callas: for this ocassion Bonotto has created a series of set designs of textiles that
bring together the items in the show, which in their special chromatic and decorative creations, allude to the colours, stuccoes and atmospheres of the stage life of this extraordinary nineteenth century star.
During the opening of “Private Callas” the book “Maria Callas: The Life of a Diva in Unseen Pictures” from Roads Publishing will be presented for the first time. It is an exclusive iconographic history of the life of Maria Callas, created from the Callas Archive of the Fondazione Progetto Marzotto.
The Creative Director of Bonotto, Giovanni Bonotto has this to say: “Designing the Callas spirit in textiles was like being in a dark room when all of sudden a lady of light enters. The glare of the flashbulbs, the brilliant jewellery, the thunderous applause ... and then the vibrant singing of Mother Nature as she enters the scene.”
“Maria Callas is an extraodinary star from the twentieth century, and at the same time a marvelous ocassion to see the fashions and its various forms from the Fifties and Sixties through the lens of celebrity culture. The Callas Collection of the Fondazione Progetto Marzotto reveals precious objects that show the style of the age, from stage life to daily life.” Maria Luisa Frisa, critic and fashion curator.
