Horror Imagery & Cappellini

I thought I would take a quick moment to share an interesting advertisement that I recently came across in the May/June 1980 issue of Harper's Gran Bazaar Italia. The advert is for the Italian furniture atelier Cappellini and was produced during the company's new creative direction at the helm of creative director, Giulio Cappellini. Cappellini sought to incorporate a more contemporary style of design into the atelier's product range; bringing in the designs of a range of, at the time, up and coming, contemporary designers to inject a new vibrant and forward looking design sensibility into Cappellini. The new creative direction proved fruitful and Giulio Cappellini modernised the atelier creating an international business featuring some of the most iconic designs in the past fifty years.

The above advertisement produced for Cappellini (advertising agency unknown) highlights the company's new creative direction. It's a striking image with clear horror overtones filtering macabre imagery through a high fashion sensibility. There's a beautiful use here of classic horror imagery with a glamorous woman about to succumb to an unseen killer. Malevolent shadows are cast on the muted background creating a sense of foreboding with the killer moments from striking. The image is punctuated by the vibrancy of the woman's red dress with its dramatic flowing form almost imitating a cascade of blood. Whilst the sideboard isn't at the forefront of the image, there's a nice contrast between the minimalist sleek furniture Cappellini presents and the rather archaic looking long handled axe. I love the dramatic flair of the image and what it conveys from a storytelling point of view, depicting a dark scene that's soon to unfold. The advertisement also serves as a reminder of the importance of interior design in the horror film; often serving as the theatrical staging for violent tableaus where sideboards and sofas are as much a part of the visual narrative as blood letting and macabre murders. Perhaps that's why the Italian horror films of the mid to late twentieth century resonate with me so greatly aesthetically; they are reflective of the Italian design trends of the period, showcasing trailblazing Italian style that perfectly marries with the contemporary themes and stylings of the Italian thriller. 

Unfortunately, I've been unable to find evidence of further images associated with this campaign or of Cappellini's historic print advertising but I'll continue to scour second hand Italian design magazines in the hope of finding some follow up images. If you want to see more concise posts about design and the Italian genre film, please let me know!