Style-watch at the Giardini

Thursday was an Italian national holiday, which coincided with this week's opening of Biennale, the international cultural arts festival held every few years in Venice.  I've been looking forward to seeing Illuminations, the exposition of international pavilions set up in the gardens at the tip of the island, which showcases contemporary art from several countries.  Yesterday, I walked in the direction of the gardens to explore the area before going again this weekend.

Walking along the water from San Marco I had to push my way through a surge of tourists and vendors, but as soon as I crossed over to the Castello district, they seemingly disappeared.  At least the camera-carrying, Hawaiian shirt-wearing ones did.  I was suddenly surrounded by yachts, linen, and fedoras.  The walkway running along the edge of the water in Castello is wide and open, and on a bright day like yesterday one feels as though they're in the south of France.  

When I arrived at the Giardini Pubblici, I was surprised by the multitude of beautiful people exiting the gardens in swarms ... very rarely do you see so many well-clad and stylish individuals in one place, except at fashion events or movie premieres.  I suppose that because the Illuminations Expo at the Biennale festival is an international art event, it is also a place to "see and be seen."  This weekend is the opening, so I imagine that it will attract thousands of eclectic visitors.  

I took photos of strangers for a long time.  Creepy?  Maybe - but let's be honest, who wouldn't be flattered by someone wanting to capture their style, or how beautifully they stand out in an ephemeral moment? 

  

Sitting in the park, watching everyone pass by, I thought about how gorgeous every  person is.  For a moment of romantic reflection, read on: 

What I love about people isn't their perfectly red lipstick, or windswept hair, or how ironically their suspenders and leather shoes contrast ... but the way these oddities catch your eye.  Maybe at first glance, those superficial elements are what I notice ... but when I really break down someone's appearance and attempt to figure out what it is that attracts me to it, I realize it is the way in which they captured their own uniqueness.  And a setting such as the Giardini Pubblici can't help but make everyone seem beautiful (or at least interesting).

Not Glamorous, per se...but my favorite photo of the day...and maybe all time:

After my 45-minute stint as a fashion photographer and poet, I continued walking through Castello.  I wish I had visited this area earlier!  There are antiques sold on tables, adorable gelaterias, and stray dogs galore.  I plan to spend most of my weekend there, so more to come!  Ciao for now ...