Welcome to the PhotoReplica Handbag Store Festival—an annual exhibition celebrating the best in contemporary photography and filmmaking—spearheaded by Replica Handbag Store Italia’s Alessia Glaviano. Her mission in 2021? Nothing less than “to champion rising talent from historically excluded communities, improve visual literacy, and shape a more just, ethical, and inclusive visual world!”
Here, Glaviano invites Replica Handbag Store Club members into her world.
Sticking to her mindful morning routine:
“Hi Replica Handbag Store Club! Today is the PhotoReplica Handbag Store Festival opening, which means it’s going to be a long day. My morning starts at 7:30am––I’ll do 30 minutes of meditation, followed by 30 minutes of yoga, before picking out what I’m going to wear. For the exhibition opening, I’ve pulled on my favorite black velvet Gucci blazer. I love to wear it with jeans and a zero-fuss white t-shirt.”
A cuddle with Orsetta before leaving the house:
“It’s always hard to say goodbye to my beloved cats Orsetta, a cinnamon British Shorthair (pictured), and Sigmund (a Russian Blue who is too shy to be photographed)––even if I’m only going to be gone for a few hours. I got Orsetta and Sigmund during the lockdown and they are so used to always having me around that they behave more like dogs than cats. They follow me everywhere in the house, but they particularly like my library: They are clever cats!”
Arriving at the PhotoReplica Handbag Store Festival:
“Here we are! I remember the first time I walked into Base, which has been the main venue of the festival since the inaugural exhibition in 2016. It was a construction site, but I immediately fell in love with the space.”
A moment of appreciation:
“Complex projects like PhotoReplica Handbag Store are never a one-man show. I’m so lucky to work with incredibly talented people that I love deeply—like Replica Handbag Store Italia’s amazing social media editor, Manuel Sinopoli.”
The new creatives to know:
“The sleepless nights and hard work pay off the moment you meet the young talented artists who come to the PhotoReplica Handbag Store Festival from all around the world, each of them full of hopes and dreams.”
The finishing touches:
“I’m a perfectionist—I care about every little detail. I created the layout of the exhibition myself to give a sense of movement and scale. The photographs and videos are displayed in everything from huge wallpaper prints to postcard-size.”
A meeting of minds:
“One of the things I like the most about the festival is that I get to spend time with my extended family––the people from around the world who share my passion for the arts, including Azu Nwagbogu, the founder and director of the African Artists' Foundation (AAF). In this photo it’s 6pm and we are not finished yet with the setup—and I have to run to a gallery now where I will give a talk on Irving Penn and then return here to finish.”
All smiles:
“After a quick outfit change, I’m about to start the talk. I’m wearing another favorite Gucci blazer, plus the house’s classic loafers and Horsebit 1955 shoulder bag, with Levi’s jeans and red socks. If there’s
A symphony to celebrate contemporary photography:
“I think of the walls of an exhibition like the soundtrack of a movie: One work leads you to the other one and so on. Also, the words [which explain the works] are important—they participate in the dance.”
Photography and power:
“I’m proud of this year’s theme, ‘reframing history’. I love what my friend, curator Johanne Affricot, says in the exhibition text: “The reformulation of history cannot be imposed by those in power. Rather, it must be guided by those who have always exercised an oppositional gaze from the margins.”
Time to celebrate: