Schuman, The Sartorialist Milano

In 2005, Scott Schuman transformed fashion photography forever when he founded the blog The Sartorialist. The idea was simple: to open a dialogue between fashion and daily life, by shooting locals in public spaces. But in the lineage of Bill Cunningham and August Sander, that unpretentious, radical emphasis on “real people”—off the runway, out of the studio—elevated people-watching to an art and street style to high fashion, long before Instagram. In Milan, Schuman found a muse dressed for the task. 

Milano chronicles nearly twenty years of his devotion to the inimitable Milanese and their bustling, stylish city, first as a visitor, then as a local. Featuring a foreword by the late Giorgio Armani and an extensive interview unpacking Schuman’s unique approach to capturing fashion in the wild, the photos are so cinematically composed, it’s a wonder they were shot on the move. Schuman seems to pause Milano, not only those shoppers, skaters, and smokers who might have the time but those without it: Miuccia Prada, Emiliano Salci, Luciano Barbera, the Sozzani sisters, all caught here in the same streets and |caffés. What emerges is a street-view history of modern Milanese fashion, by an American with the open mind to see the elegance overlooked by locals born to it and missed in stiffer fashion shoots—the beauty in the authentic, unpredictable styles combined only by those under no pressure to conform. Young and old, they pose while Milan flies by on bikes, Vespas, and trams, amid a dazzle of marble, frescos, sculptures, spires, columns, ornate palazzi and brutalist facades, local markets, florists, vertical gardens, iconic hangouts like Bar Basso and Marchesi 1824, espressos, handbags, high heels, and suits in every color imaginable. From the canals of Naviglio Grande to the cobblestones of Via Brera to the glass ceiling of “the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II” and Milano Centrale, the city’s blend of architectural styles is seen as a radiant reflection of its people.

 “Milan does not lend itself to superficial, fleeting acquaintances,” Armani notes in his foreword; part travelogue, part style bible, here is an exclusive chance to tune into the city’s rhythms, energy, and soul as intimately as Schuman has, to discover what makes it one-of-a-kind. For admirers of fashion, photography, and la dolce vita, this is the authentic street-style of the fashion capital of the world that won’t be found on Instagram, captured by the pioneer who made it cool and meaningful. In Schuman’s words, these aren’t just clothes, they’re clothes that tell you “who the people are”.