Tito Piermarini is the new protagonist of the column dedicated to emerging artists.
Tito Piermarini is a photographer and (avid) traveller with a reportage visual approach.
We had the opportunity to collaborate with Tito during the January fashion week in Paris, when he shot some BTS from the men’s collections in exclusive for Vanity Teen.
We were deeply impressed by the sensitivity and depths of thought that pulsate through his lens.
His images are living images.
And fashion is not the end, it’s a means of transmitting emotions.
It’s the chapter of a life story, his story.
Hi Tito!
According to you, what’s photography?
For me, photography is a way to journal beauty in its many forms—faces, places, moments. Coming from a street photography background, it’s also a tool to capture what’s easily missed in our fast-paced lives. I want my images to give people a second chance to appreciate what they might have overlooked.
And what’s fashion?
Fashion is the result of the interaction between culture, industry, art, and the social issues shaping a society at any given time. Similarly to other industries, it’s moved beyond utility, becoming a vehicle for identity, where colors, shapes, and fabrics express who we are or want to be. But fashion also offers belonging, a way to connect with the people around us through shared trends. Fashion is about examining and playing with the boundaries that exist between personal expression and “fitting in”.
How do you “talk about” fashion through your camera?
I see fashion as part of a broader narrative, and my approach is to capture not just the garments, but the environment in which they’re worn. It’s about harmonizing clothing with the space—whether it’s nature or urban architecture—so they interact and complement each other. My camera acts as a documentarian tool, recording trends and personal stories. I aim for each image to reflect a sense of identity, showing how personal style connects with both cultural influences and individual ideals.
How could you describe your style?
My style is deeply rooted in storytelling, with a documentary edge. I focus on the blend between the subject and their surroundings, often shooting from the hip to capture candid moments. A perspective that mirrors a child’s view of the world, seeing the streets with curiosity and wonder as they’re guided by hand. By shooting from this angle, I hope to immerse the viewer in a familiar yet fresh experience of fashion, offering a glimpse into how our environment shapes our sense of style.
Do you have your own reference photographer?
Henri Cartier-Bresson, Vivian Maier, and Helmut Newton were my earliest influences. The first taught me the beauty of the ‘decisive moment’—the split second when everything aligns perfectly. Vivian Maier had this incredible knack for finding intimacy in everyday scenes, showing the unnoticed beauty around us. Helmut Newton, although known for fashion, brought a bold, narrative edge that made each shot feel like a story in itself. More recently, Bill Cunningham’s work really resonated with me—he used photography not just as a tool for documentation but also for entertainment and joy. Today, Daniel Arnold is probably my biggest influence. Luck, coincidence, or whatnot, what his eyes grasp through the crowds is just stunning. His ability to capture the spontaneity of life, especially through street photography, is something deeply admire. Arnold’s collaboration with Prada is particularly striking because it brings a level of authenticity to fashion photography that’s rare—it feels less like an ad and more like a snapshot from a life just happening. His shots capture unguarded, everyday moments, but he finds a beauty that makes them feel intimate and cinematic. His work challenges the boundary between high fashion and street culture, showing that luxury can coexist with the grit and spontaneity of real, lived moments.
Arnold’s eye for detail and timing elevates the ordinary into art, finding expressive gestures and subtle interactions in crowded scenes. His unique approach inspires a vision where fashion photography moves beyond the posed and polished, capturing fleeting expressions and raw emotions that resonate deeply with the viewer.
What’s your background?
My background is a mix—my dad’s Bohemian-Italian, my mom’s Italian-French-German – culturally, I’m Roman to the core. I feel Rome didn’t just raise me; it shaped how I see the world, my sense of humour, and my approach to life. It’s in everything I do.
After finishing high school in Paris, I spent some years across the Channel to study Economics. After a stint in Paris, I spent the better part of the last seven years in London, working across various industries. It took a while to find my footing, but London eventually became my place. I have had the chance to grow along with inspiring people and artists from all over the world, seeing their ideas and ways to convey them evolve over time. The music and food scene has been producing really unique work as well, pushing me to blend these elements in the events I curate: Tonbu. I am now hoping to launch these in Paris after a successful run in London. While this is in the making, I am finishing a photobook about the art scene in Ukraine, shot mostly across Lviv and Kyiv in 2022, that should be with us around Christmas time.
Let’s talk about the series you’re presenting on Vanity Teen Digital, Resilience in Bloom.
This project seeks to honour the creators redefining Ukraine’s art scene, from the east to the west, while demonstrating that war isn’t the end of life—it’s merely another chapter. Through this work, I aim to inspire those living in peacetime to reflect on the notion that large-scale conflict may not be a distant memory or a faraway occurrence—it could easily become part of our own reality. Yet, art, music, food, friendships, love, and nature will endure, no matter how they’re reshaped by conflict. They will transform and adapt, but people will always find ways to create beauty.
Tell us all about…
I visited Ukraine twice in 2022 to capture how war transforms social networks and whether beauty can arise from destruction.
Everything kind of just started snowballing as I got to Lviv. I attended a theater performance that had just debuted in a bunker of Staroievreiska St. One person and then another and I ended up in Pizdamche, just north of the center. Behind the gates of an old radio-medical equipment factory, creatives from across Ukraine had got together to set up creative spaces – yoga, ceramics, recording studios; exhibition openings and ateliers, concerts and raves – an incredibly multifaceted community brewed itself within a couple months after the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
Talking about my plans with other people, I had been told I should meet Sasha, a Belarussian fashion designer now based in Kyiv. During my second trip, around Christmas, that time finally came. I have always been committed to collaborating with brands that prioritize sustainability, and Sasha’s vibrant, rave-inspired pieces—crafted entirely from deadstock and upcycled fabrics—immediately resonated with me.
Kyiv was then blanketed in snow, and we needed a backdrop that would complement the vivid, electric colors of her designs. We found our answer in the Hryshko Botanical Garden—an exuberant green space that perfectly echoed the life and resilience we aimed to capture through this series.
Do you have any favorite shot from the series?
It doesn’t feel right to pick a single picture, as much of the project is about the interplay between the images. They rely on each other to convey the deeper message. However, if I had to choose one, it would probably be this shot.
We are 10 months into the conflict, standing in the Botanical Garden of Kyiv, a rare refuge of green amid the starkness of war. Here, the lushness feels surreal, as if this quiet beauty exists in defiance of the violence surrounding us. In the image, the hands are delicate, almost reverent, adorned with rings reaching for each other. The threads in the clothing stretch toward the earth, as if seeking new roots in uncertain soil. The air raid sirens fill the white sky above us, garden employees hurrying us along.
The garden, home to some 13,000 species from around the world, is struggling. The price of electricity doubled, funding has been shrinking, with most employees needing to take pay cuts. Last winter, donations kept the garden going, with volunteers chopped firewood to help keep the plants alive. To this day, the Kremlin’s missiles continue to threaten the capital. Occasionally, debris from missile attacks shatters glass in the hothouses, blast waves dislodge chunks of walls, and red-listed plants are knocked over by explosions.
The purple threads drift downward like thin roots searching for fertile soil to take hold in, seeking a place to grow. In the background, a few flower petals quietly echo the floral patterns of the dress. It’s subtle, but there’s a question that lingers: is this a new home?
This image holds a lot of weight for me, especially because since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, countless Ukrainians have had to leave their homes. Many are still displaced within Ukraine, and nearly twice as many have sought refuge abroad. This mass displacement has led to the birth of vibrant, resilient communities scattered across different countries, all committed to exploring, celebrating, and preserving Ukrainian culture. It begs the question: what do roots really mean in times like these?
When you’re thrust into a new rhythm, surrounded by unfamiliar sights and sounds, do you attempt to build a new life, or hold onto the hope that one day you might return? And for those who do eventually return, how will their roots have transformed? Have they deepened somewhere else, or do they remain tangled in the soil of home, waiting to reconnect?
For me, this shot isn’t just about the beauty of nature or the clothing—it’s a visual metaphor for this dilemma of displacement, adaptation, and hope. It asks, as we all do in these times: what is home, and where do our roots truly belong?
“Photography is more than a medium for factual communication of ideas. It is a creative art”, Ansel Adams said one day.
Is photography a form of contemporary art? How can you contextualize it in 2024?
Absolutely. Photography today engages with themes like identity, migration, climate change, and consumerism. With the advancements in digital technology, including AI and augmented reality, photography is blending traditional techniques with modern innovations to create immersive works. In 2024, the accessibility and versatility of photography make it a crucial tool for both personal expression and global commentary. However, there’s also a need to protect the rights and emotions of creators in an age where digital content can be easily manipulated, often blurring the line between reality and fabrication.
A letter to your future self.
You’ve seen challenges, but you’ve also found strength and creativity in them. Whatever you’re facing now, remember that patience and perspective are your allies. Celebrate the little wins, and don’t lose sight of what truly matters: love, connection, and purpose. Keep pursuing those things that put a big smile on your face, those that make your inner voice proud of you. Most of all, continue to be kind to yourself and others. The best is yet to come.
