Evans O.
Evans O. is a story that carefully weaves the personal story of Evans to fashion aesthetics. Fashion highlights and strengthens the character through the narrative of emotions. Together with Evans, we go through the moments of happiness to sadness to self-reflection and discover the beauty of this particular story. The colors of earth and nature, the fabrics and styling, the poses - all work together to create a narrative of becoming. One of the main goals is to reveal the timeline of events leading to this day.
Gabriele Rosati is a fashion Art Director and Photographer. In this collaboration with the stylist and a co-art director Beatrice Vesprini, the semi-documentary story about Evans Osaghae, a model, is told. Evans comes from Nigeria to Italy and builds his new self through the merge of cultures and traditions.
Photography Gabriele Rosati Art Direction Gabriele Rosati and Beatrice Vesprini Stylist Beatrice Vesprini Talent Evans Osaghae
Clothes by
Federico Cina
“Mi sono innnamorato di te” collection
‘In his gestures, in his words, but above all in his eyes – the eyes of a person who already has been through a lot - he has always kept a stable kind of light: his mother’
Hi Gabriele, Beatrice, how did you meet and start working together?
We met in 2015.
The first time was in a park near Florence for a shoot where I was taking pictures, and Beatrice was styling our models. It was fun and fast, and then we lost sight of each other. A few months later, we both went to the same school at Polimoda. From there, we held hands, and we never left each other. Now we live together. We work, think, eat, and laugh together as a sister and brother.
Tell us about this project, Evans O.
This project is a documentary about the bitter life of a guy like Evans, that changed a lot with time, place, traditions, friends, land, life, while he always remains Okeke. The little skinny black guy from Benin City. He wears his new life, Italy, keeping the marks of his dear land Nigeria in his heart and skin.
The focus of the project is Evans Osaghae and his personal story. What is the most fascinating part for you in his narrative?
Definitely, it's Evans' mother, Beauty.
Evans has always put a hint of pureness while he was talking about her. In his gestures, in his words, but above all in his eyes – the eyes of a person who already has been through a lot - he has always kept a stable kind of light: his mother.
The story of this carnal, visceral, and genuine relationship between the two, was the strongest thing Evans gave us. The distance and the bond, the years and the desire, the fear and the will to live what both have experienced, were in one word those “walls” that both – Beauty and him - have ridden and climbed over together.
Now they feel alive. One next to each other.
They are happy.
‘Evans wears his new life, Italy, but keeps in his heart and on his skin the marks of his beloved land, Nigeria’
The decision was to include Federico Cina’s collection in the shoot. Take us through some considerations on the fashion choices, the incorporation of the longer silhouettes, and the fabrics you used.
Evans wears his new life, Italy, but keeps in his heart and on his skin the marks of his beloved land, Nigeria.
The slim and elongated silhouette supports the body and - together with the act of continuously layering different types of fabrics - lets the garments build a sort of a bridge between the earth and the air. Evans stands exactly in the middle, as he is covered with his memories. The nuances of the earth are kissing the flag of his origins, and are highlighting a common color with what is a new flag for him now: the green, while white and brown are mixed with it.
Share a story from the day of the shoot, something that made you laugh or what created a specific mood on set.
The cigarette with Evans before we started. His embarrassment. The rap music Evans requested after two hours of listening to Cigarette After Sex.
What would be an alternative title you would give the editorial? "Okeke. The skinny little black boy from Benin City.” A quote Evans' grandfather used to say to him.
The Background Story
‘Life. Evans. Italy. Evans is right there. In the middle. In his mother’s warm arms, found after 8 years. A father that he never met, or better, never recognized. However he has happiness all over his face. The smile of a man that has stomped on, eaten and breathed his own life since he was a child. He was born in Nigeria and moved to Italy when he was 10. He doesn’t miss his land, but he’ll never forget it. It’s part of himself, of his blood and bones. Beauty - his mother - is his hero. He viscerally loves her. She gave him everything. Love over anything else. Even from far, even without seeing each other, she always made it. Always. And Evans thanks God for this.His life now is in a little Italian town. He’s happy there, everyone knows him. He doesn’t hold a grudge against anyone. He doesn’t hate anyone. He’s seen so much since he was a little boy. He fell in love with Italy.Bolognese pasta as soon as he got there. New language. His new brothers. Denise.From “Okeke” - as his grandad used to call him in Nigeria - to “bro” - as his friends call him now, Evans is still Evans.As a man seeking peace.With a blinding smile, and hunger for life in his tired hands of someone who always worked. Evans wants to live, remembering about the ground he stepped on since he was a kid, taking with him a new warming light. That’s his light.It’s Italy’.
