Fashion & Art
written by Franco tartari & priscille prado
"ITALY": so much in just six letters.
The country that boasts fifty-five UNESCO sites, a city shaped like a star, the smallest restaurant in the world, the fifth highest visited country in the world.
"ITALY", in each of the six letters that make up the name of our country is hidden a treasure to be discovered and rediscovered.
I as in Intelligenza (intelligence): Da Vinci, Giuseppe Verdi, Galileo Galilei, Guglielmo Marconi, Giotto.
T as in Tavolo (table): the art of sharing a home-cooked meal eaten without haste.
A as in Arte (art): cities of art from Venice to Rome via Verona, Milan and Bologna to name but a few.
L as in Lusso (luxury): from the sea of Sardinia to the peaks of Cortina, at the wheel of a Ferrari or aboard a Ducati or a Guzzi.
I as in Impastare (to knead): whether done by grandma or mom, for tortellini for Christmas, or Friday night’s pizza, Sunday's lasagne or gnocchi.
A as in Abbigliamento (clothing): the best, par excellence, of Made in Italy.
I still remember the eyes of a friend of ours on her first visit to the market in Padua several years ago. We were attending university and it was, for all of us, the first time we had to shop and cook as adults. I will never forget her astonished eyes as she discovered a new universe. I still think that visiting an open-air market is a unique experience for anyone who wants to know more about the essence of Italy. There are so many striking things, such as the color of flowers, fruits and vegetables, the taste of freshly baked bread or a piece of freshly cut Grana cheese, the genuineness of local products, freshly picked vegetables...but above all the elegance in the clothes of the people at the market.
In Italy going for a walk is no joke, even if it's just to enjoy an ice cream or buy fruit and vegetables...making a "bella figura" counts: dressing well to make a good impression. The good impression, however, goes way beyond the fashion factor of our clothes. The good impression is likely to want to touch every sphere of our lives.
Therefore, as believers, it becomes essential to keep in mind the words written in 1 Samuel 16:7 "For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
The ‘bella figura’ at table, in one’s studies, or in clothing can therefore quickly become a chain that imprisons us. Inviting someone home, for example, can become an exhausting marathon, if culturally speaking everything must be perfect, abundant, impeccable. The “bella figura” produces a sweet taste at the beginning and the ego feeds on this satisfaction, but it lasts little before turning into a bitter chain.
The stress resulting from having to make a good impression can paralyze us: "I can't just spontaneously leave the house because to be able to leave the house I must first be perfectly dressed." "I can't invite anyone to dinner because I already know the effort I'll have to go through in spending hours at the stove to make an incredible meal. And if the guests are celiac... well, better forget it!"
The “bella figura” paralyzes. The fear of not living up to it isolates from others. And as a result, to avoid that burden, people stay within the family or small circles of friends, reducing one's world only to what one knows well and can control well.
John 8:32 says, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Free from the idols that the “bella figura” creates all the time.
The Gospel gives us freedom. Freedom to appreciate Italian art and fashion, freedom to see in Da Vinci's machines or in the perfection of sunsets by the sea the creative imprint of our Lord. Freedom to share a simple, even a basic meal with someone, thanking God for daily bread. Freedom to learn afresh that the finest hospitality is not "I-centered" because I want to make a good impression, but "God-centered.” “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 15:32).