By Giulia Piceni. Cover image by Margaret Mitchem for I’M Firenze Digest.
This is a pure statement: Mina is a timeless fashion icon and always will be. Even though she is no longer present on Italian TV and in the jet-set, her influence in the artistic world is stronger than ever. In this article, we will try to explain the reasons why her image is more contemporary than ever before, citing fashion, style and music news. Here are five points to consider.
1. The Sabato de Sarno’s touch with Gucci Ancora
Cherry red all over the Gucci Prospettive – Ancora pages and the finale of the debut collection by Sabato de Sarno with the remix of Mina’s song Ancora, Ancora, Ancora by Mark Ronson playing in the background brought back into the limelight the diva and fashion icon that has been away from the spotlight for the past four decades. The single protagonist used in Gucci’s recent show and visual identity dates back to 1978 and was distributed along with the song Città vuota. Sounds familiar, right? Well, it happens that it was part of a Dolce & Gabbana ad in 2012. You may also remember another campaign by the Sicilian duo starring Matthew McConaughey and Scarlett Johansson riding an old-fashioned car with the voice of 1960s Mina singing Il cielo in una stanza, by the Italian singer and songwriter Gino Paoli, in the background.
The Tiger of Cremona (the nickname by which Mina was known) and her musical masterpieces remain an integral part of Italian fashion. Thanks to the recent tribute by Sabato de Sarno, the younger generations who may not have seen Mina on television can now rediscover this great legacy.
2. Bleached brows? No thanks – I’d rather shave them!
Trends come and go, and one of the latest is the resurgence of a very edgy element of punk style – the bleached brows. Starting from the 70s, Mina incorporated this into her elegant look, making shaved eyebrows a highly recognisable feature on her face. Not everyone could rock that look, which made her shine in the artistic scene of her time. Her gaze made her resemble a 70s version of the 20s flapper, with a melancholic and seductive allure, emphasised by the explicit themes she covered in her songs and the deep voice she gradually developed over her career.
Her extensive use of dark eyeshadow on the eyelid and beyond made her eyes pop through the screen, but Mina kept that decadent look even with no pigment on her face. In that sense, makeup was a tool, not a mask, because the womanly strength that she communicated in her songs was imbued in her soul and could effortlessly transpire just through her presence. Mina was a true fashion and beauty icon, too. It will take just some quick research on TikTok, the GenZ-approved social media, to reveal the impact of Mina’s browless look.
3. Why Mina is much more than a fashion icon
Mina has been one of the first figures in the entertainment industry to emphasise the importance of looks as a way to communicate her image to the extent that limiting her to a fashion icon would be an understatement, as her impact has been much more profound than that. Throughout her career, Mina adopted various transformations, such as photoshopping her head onto the body of a bodybuilder for the Rane Supreme album cover and turning herself into an alien for the 2011 Piccolino cover, just to name a few examples.
During her decades-long career, Mina experimented with different hairstyles, ranging from a natural clean look in her 20s to a more sophisticated copper red as she grew older. It wasn’t just about setting trends and being provocative but rather breaking down the image people had of her. Mina wanted her fans to understand that she was everything and nothing at the same time and that she could embody all the characters she wanted because they were already present in her. By showcasing her multifaceted personality through her albums, Mina proved that she was much more than just a diva.
4. Escaping from the spotlight, Mina’s bravest move
Mina’s decision in 1978 to disappear from the media was not an escape but an intellectual choice. Despite being a celebrated figure, Mina voluntarily exiled herself from the spotlight and devoted herself to music.
In a world that requires us to be constantly connected to our phones, giving away our energy without taking the time to recharge is now more relevant than ever. It takes great courage to see past the allure of fame and choose art for art’s sake, going against the prevailing media mentality. A brainy diva, Mina never missed the opportunity to go against the tide and bravely choose her own path.
5. Mina and the collab with Blanco
Mina is an artist who never limits herself in terms of creativity. Her diverse production speaks for itself, featuring numerous collaborations, covers and re-editions. In the past few months, Mina has not only been featured in Gucci’s visual communication and runway show finale but has also collaborated with a widely known Italian artist, Blanco. In the song Un briciolo di allegria, the duet blends the melodic sounds of the young singer with Mina’s deep voice. The music video is also noteworthy, as it appropriates the noir movie aesthetic, and Mina’s figure vaguely appears as an unsettling presence in the rooms of Villa Augusta in Ariccia, the location of the video.
