Kiss this: we delve back into the Dazed archive bringing you the March 2000 smooching cover series, photographed by Rankin and styled by Alister Mackie.
Boy–girl, girl–girl, boy–boy, forget the labels, pucker up and go with the flow. Happy Valentine's day from Dazed.
Photography Rankin Styling Alister Mackie Hair Alain Pichon at Untitled* using TIGI haircare Make-Up Val Garland at Untltled* using Philosophy skincare Styling Assistants Sofia de Romarate and Sara Burn Photographic Assistants Gish, Laurie and Venetia Models Chris Farrell, Mebrak, Lulla and James Rousseau all at Select, Jamie del Moon at Success, Aron at Models One, David at Vision, Zora Star and Jocelyn both at Silvestre, Tanja at Next
Raf Simons's maxim "No neoprene no futurism, just cotton and wool" traces Arte Povera,the political art movement of 60s Italy – as in his vote prints. Futhermore, the Italian penisula has been nicknamed "Lo Stivale" –TheBoot. Hence Raf's sweaters withPuss in Bootsdetailing.
Arte Povera rejects technocracy and industrialization, both previously favoured by theFuturistsin Italy. Now in France, the leaders of arte povera are running through mens' collections like water pipes through concrete slab, from Raf to Junya towards Rick.
At Thom Browne, Erwin Wurm raises a Jannis Kounellis scarecrow for Browne's timber amish barn and then shoots two birds with one stone by framing a V for Louis Vuitton.
Not unlike Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy, Arte Povera artists looked to the Big Apple, yet remained "conscious of possessing an inalienable Europen identity that was irreconcilable with any other", in the words of artistGermano Celant.
Still, when Gilberto Zorio and the Japanese Issey Miyake hook up, they look topleats pleaseto be true.
RAF SIMONS I
Luciano Fabro, L'Italia Ipocrita, 1996
RAF SIMONS II
Giovanni Anselmo, Il Panorama Fin Verso Oltramare, 1996
JUNYA WATANABE
Giovanni Anselmo, Grigi Che Si Alleggeriscono Verso Oltramare, 1994
