A muse is traditionally thought of as a seductive heroine, a fierce persona of inimitable passion, grace and allure. Notable muses include Catherine Deneuve, who ignited the creative fervour of Yves Saint Laurent and the late Princess Grace Kelly, the inspiration for Hermès’s coveted creation, the 1935 ‘Kelly bag’. In the eleventh edition of the annual Campari Calendar for 2010 – the city of Milan plays muse to photographer Simone Nervi, who depicts with sharp visual acuity the dynamic pulse of this cultural melting pot through the enigma that is Olga Kurylenko.

Since its international launch in 2000, the Campari Calendar has rapidly become an icon of international prestige. The calendar is distributed in international limited editions of only 9,999 copies and represents a small collectible luxury. The 2010 edition of the Campari Calendar is not so much an advertisement for the iconic brand, as it is a storyboard of a city, its people and the fiery passion that ignites their opulent lifestyle.

Milan’s most absorbing ritual – the apéritif – an essential accompaniment to hors d’oeuvres, is a primer at restaurants, artistic exhibits and lavish celebrations. It is a crucial ingredient that incites the tastebuds for the meal that is to come. For Olga Kurylenko, the apéritif marks just the beginning of her journey – her appetite however, is largely insatiable. The Campari woman thirsts for adventure, for challenge. She craves the raw feeling of exhilaration, the distinct sensation that she is an integral part of the city’s landscape – framing its cultural makeup, reinventing the city and her role in it.

The story begins with Kurylenko on a train. She clings tantalisingly to a handle aboard the historic tram 609.Her stance is languid, unnerving. Yet, as she stands, with casual elegance, curious passengers gape through the tinted windows, mesmerised. And so the story unfolds.

The month of February depicts Olga in a bar, as ravenous eyes gaze upon her. The Campari woman is transformed from ingénue to an enigmatic creature. She is just beginning her evening and there is a subtle motif to the visual that implies a raging spirit is just about to be unleashed. As we follow the subject through the storyboard, we are represented with a woman at once indulgent and receiving but also in control of her surroundings. She is always posited at centre stage – as if the tempo of the city moves along at a pace which she dictates.
The strong frame adopted for the September shoot pays homage to Greek mythology, as Kurylenko stands in a fountain of water, inviting her admirer to explore the depths of her world, whilst at the same time remaining detached and just sufficiently out of reach.

The Campari woman is unapologetic about her ardent beauty. The fervour that she injects in her life is at once liberating and confining. She is her own person but understands when it’s necessary to surrender to the confines of the city’s timeless conventions. Campari’s subject is effortlessly beautiful and bold but she understands that a return to refined femininity and understated elegance underpin the core of her mystique.

The city of Milan acts as a stunning historic backdrop to the twelve stories intertwined together through a single protagonist. Kurylenko is incarnate of the woman we all want to be. She is magnificently glamorous, hard to reign in and unnerving in her tenacity. Yet there is the underlying motif that Campari is just a drink. The rest is up to you.

BLK1 Article: NADA MARTINOVIC

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