The works of contemporary photographer Massimo Vitali are most often seen on the walls of museums, galleries, and art shows—The Guggenheim, the Venice Biennial, and Art Basel Miami among them. But now, they’re displaying in sunnier settings thanks to a limited-edition capsule collection he’s designed for swimwear brand Vilebrequin. The collaboration seems like a no-brainer. Two decades of capturing coastal culture in his home country of Italy and elsewhere in the world have made Vitali the preeminent artist in the niche of beach photography, and Saint Tropez−based brand Vilebrequin, founded in 1971, has long been favored by chic vacationers for their artful, slightly off-beat suit designs.
The capsule collection consists of two pieces: Vilebrequin’s iconic Moorea men’s swimming trunks and a tote bag. For anyone familiar with Vitali’s work, the photo chosen for the two could not epitomize his style more. Shot on the island of Porquerolles off France’s Côte d’Azur, it captures one of the rare remaining Mediterranean beaches that haven’t become major tourist destinations. “We were looking for emblematic locales in the French Riviera that evoked the joy of the holidays in the 1970s,” says Vitali of the setting. In a meta-esque touch, the photo was edited so that some of the bathers pictured in it are wearing suits patterned with the same photo, making for a sort of cheeky illusion—not unlike the act of sporting a photo of the beach at the beach.
For more information, visit Vilebrequin.