The Art of Storytelling in Fashion with Flavio Tarquini

November 28, 2024

Flavio Tarquini’s journey into creative direction began with a love of cinematography. His passion for storytelling evolved into a fascination with the fast-paced narratives of fashion, leading him to craft visual identities for some of the world’s most prestigious brands, including Louis Vuitton and Moncler. Through his work, Flavio blends art and commerce, creating campaigns that are rooted in the belief that luxury must transcend mere products to tell a meaningful story.

What inspired you to pursue a career in creative direction, and how did you get your start in the field?

I started from cinema, from the film industry, I was in love with storytelling. Then I saw how fashion was able to squeeze in a short amount of time, a whole mood, a whole message, a whole aesthetic, like in a perfume campaign - this was so strong that I couldn't resist, so I started sending emails all around the world and step by step, from internship to internship, I entered the fashion world. I wanted to be able to create the same perfume campaigns I was watching on television.

Who or what are your biggest creative influences, and how have they shaped your approach to creative direction?

At the beginning, all the film directors, from Bertolucci to Fellini, then the photographers like Robert Capa or Bresson...slowly arriving at the fashion photographers and the creative directors from the fashion industry. The first creative director, Riccardo Ruini, who was my mentor, did the most iconic Gucci perfume campaigns EVER. Then slowly, the new work of Alessandro Michele and Christopher Simmonds, the way of thinking of Virgil, that has been my baseground where I grew up, seeing myself around such a high level of film and photography pushed me to always want to create more beauty and make more charming films and campaigns.

What do you find most challenging about being a creative director, and how do you overcome those challenges?

Like all creatives the biggest problem is not creativity, but the fact that you have to be creative with all the market challenges you have to sell a product…we are not artists, we are people who use creativity and art to sell products or an identity.

You’ve collaborated with numerous luxury brands, can you share some of your favourite projects so far, and what made them stand out?

Everything I did with Louis Vuitton was special, I mean it's Louis Vuitton, the centre of the world in Paris, the one of Virgil, is like iconic history forever. And I was there, I was part of it. But, I love many of the brands I worked with. All of them have an amazing story behind, if they are successful there is always a reason…in those cases it’s their beautiful story. Much like how Bulgari is connected with Rome, Moncler is always able to be smart and extraordinary (like fashion should be), Mike Amiri started from zero and arrived to be relevant in the world of fashion and Warner Music is able to grow amazing talents around the world. But, another one I'm really attached to is Ralph Lauren - his style and way of living is iconic, elegant, effortless, honest and pure… it is one of the lighthouses in the fashion business (like Miuccia Prada or Giorgio Armani). When a name can really send you values and a certain way of living, this is 100% Ralph Lauren. His team is great and I can clearly see why they have been, and still are, so successful.

Beyond visual art, what other influences, such as music, TV shows, or movies, shape your creative vision and design choices?

History of photography, history of films, contemporary photography, contemporary movies, art in general and music videos.

When commissioning creatives, particularly artists, what qualities or elements do you look for in their work?

They need to be kind, be team players and obviously be able to be contemporary with their work.

What advice would you give to artists trying to get their work noticed by creative directors like yourself?

Try to be different, try to say something the other did not say, or at least be similar but add something different - an element that says ok you are an abstract artist but not like all the others.

How do you approach balancing creative vision with client expectations or commercial goals?

This is the big, big challenge of our work. I try to be honest, I try to think from the point of the client but always express my ideas as an expert.

It is not about personal taste or what I like; it is about what makes sense nowadays - what can be contemporary and attract people, what is able to speak and define an identity in a better way. We need to say something; otherwise, they are just clothes. And if they are just clothes, how do you explain why a bag that should cost 1k has a value of 30k? Today luxury in fashion should be more and more like contemporary art. It's a product, yes, but its value is not just the design, fabric, material, experience...it is mostly in the idea of it. That's why it is luxury.

Are there any current trends in design or art that you find particularly exciting or inspiring?

Honestly, at the moment not much, everything looks so flat; we forgot to take risks, we just look at the revenues and what consumers want. Sometimes we should keep inside of us that 20 year old identity that is not scared to say, to show and to be. Otherwise, we just get old and are not enthusiastic and this is bad for selling products. If I'm not in love with it, why should I spend my money…today we have too much of everything - do we need another bag? If we lose the enthusiastic side, probably not.

How do you nurture creativity within a team and ensure everyone’s voice is heard in a collaborative project?

I give them a few elements, then I let them have the space to be free. Obviously, I check what they do and I always give them a point to follow, but I feel it is better if they have space, even if you give the main direction.