Sanremo 2022, male looks took the stage
The singers competing in the 72nd Sanremo Italian Song Festival were divided between those who chose a classic look, embellished with eccentric notes, and those who dared to wow the audience. From senators Morandi and Ranieri, who were won over by sequins, to winners Mahmoud and Blanco, who played with class on the ambiguity of their interpretation.
The 72nd edition of the Sanremo Festival turned out to be a success with audiences capable of surpassing all expectations. It was a ratings boom not seen in almost 30 years and brought Italy's most important singing kermesse back to the center of attention, even among younger viewers. On stage, however, in addition to the songs, the looks sported by the performers, especially men, were the protagonists. The third Festival signed Amadeus, in fact, will probably go down in history as the one in which men dared the most, treating themselves to bright colors, sequins and even a long skirt. To enrich their performances inside the Ariston theater, in fact, some of the contestants in the competition (as well as the host) chose traditional outfits but embellished with extroverted notes. Others, however, went decidedly beyond the barriers of conventionality.
Classic style but with personality
To the first cohort belong true senators of pop music made in Italy: Gianni Morandi and Massimo Ranieri. Both sported impeccable suits with jackets in all performances, while indulging in a few quirks, such as the silver sequins on Ranieri's lapel on the final night or Morandi's total white look shared with his friend Jovanotti on the occasion of their duet.
The masculine color of the festival, however, was undoubtedly black, chosen by almost all the contestants, especially in the final. Examples of this were the outfits of Fabrizio Moro (who gave his outfit a sporty edge by eliminating the tie and unbuttoning his shirt slightly on the chest), Rkomi (who showed up wrapped in black leather, after sporting a bare torso on cover night) and Matteo Romano (even too classic for his 18 years). Some variation on the theme, however, was attempted by the other young recruits in the competition. Sangiovanni, for example, appeared before the audience in a black suit embroidered with bright, glittery, metallic rhombuses like the underwear of Dargen D'Amico and Aka7even. Another variation on the total black theme was that proposed by Irama, whose dress was ruched with silver mesh. Decidedly more colorful, however, was the choice of Achille Lauro, who sported a mauve suit with extremely refined lines.
Eccentricity in the service of art
Let's move, however, to the other side of the fence, to the large group of those who, even on the final evening, did not give up to amaze. The first prize, again, goes to the winners of the Festival. Mahmoud and Blanco, in fact, perfectly cast in the theatrical atmosphere of a deliberately ambiguous performance, walked the stage maintaining a perfect balance between style and provocation. Mahmoud appeared in a white shirt and black tie worn over a long skirt, also black. Blanco, on the other hand, true to his stage name, opted for a total white look consisting of a transparent shirt and loose, soft pants. The transparent solution was also chosen by Michele Bravi, who dropped his song in a two-sided dress: transparencies and golds on the right, black cape on the left. Honorable mention, finally, for the male component of the duo The List Representative, who rather than a dress wore a stage costume where pink was the dominant color.
