Retro-Futurism – Human Fragility and the reminiscence of Eighties aesthetic

words Editorial Team

The Eighties are often referred to as the decade of decadence – A Retro-Futurism editorial, a reminiscence of Eighties movies aesthetic and the fascination for office environments

A Retro-Futurist movie aesthetic: Enzo Tonati, Jacopo Fiorentino for Lampoon digital edition – About Human Fragility

This series talks about our relationship with work and how it can affect people’s personality. People wear masks according to those who surround us, especially in their jobs. This editorial is a reminiscence of Eighties movies aesthetic and the fascination for office environments to weave a story about human fragility. A Retro-Futurist movie aesthetic inspired by the Eighties.

The Eighties are often referred to as the decade of decadence, and for good reason. Not only did this decade usher in hip-hop, big hair, Metallica, and Reagan-era politics, but it also brought a more global focus to culture and community. Post-Vietnam War sentiments confirmed the interconnectedness of the world and gave rise to large, multinational companies. This decade saw changes in political, social, and technological landscapes, all of which directly influenced office design trends.

The sharp, dramatic, tech-focused, and forward-thinking of Retro-Futurist. The Eighties workspace aesthetic talk about Human Fragility and the relationship with modern work

With the introduction of new technology and hardware came the need to have spaces for this larger machinery. Desks, workspaces, and even offices expanded to house this newly-required equipment.

Workstations became heavier and more expansive, including storage drawers, built-in filing cabinets, and keyboard trays. The desk’s design became less oriented to daily tasks and more centrally focused around the new technology rapidly taking over the workplace.

Because of technology’s new-found foothold in Eighties offices, design began to shift to harmonize with the machines. Futuristic, sharp designs that incorporated glass, metal, and other industrial materials took center-stage, fading out the earth tones and whimsical patterns of the Seventies. Clean lines were ever-present in office furniture. Desks, filing cabinets, chairs, and conference room tables had hard edges, incorporated bold colors, and underscored form over function.

Workplaces were design-forward and incorporated a progressive aesthetic when possible. Light fixtures became novel statement pieces made of metal and glass. Colorful accents popped against dramatic, hard furnishings and concrete columns were no longer concealed, but highlighted as focal points amongst the corporate office space. The Eighties aesthetic was sharp, dramatic, tech-focused, and forward-thinking.

Enzo Tonati, photographer

Enzo Tonati is a photographer and videographer born in 1995, based in Paris. He began practicing self-taught photography before joining the École supérieure de production audiovisual and obtaining a degree in cinema from the faculty of Paris 8. Alongside his studies, he worked as a photographer in the nightlife world. There he encountered a queer activist community, whose influence is reflected in the choice of his subjects and in the importance given to bodies.

He then joined the Pin-up studio, where he was able to discover the big names in fashion photography. For four years he has been working as a photographer in this field. He produces series for magazines such as Têtu, Dazed and Marie-Claire, as well as for advertisements (Saint James, My Lubie). In 2021, he exhibited in duo with the choreographer Alexandre Bibia at the 19 Coté Cour gallery on the theme of falling.

His artistic practice maintains a close link between colors and bodies. His work draws on details to reflect a subjective and sensory reality. Close to his subjects, whom he photographs in an intimate and isolated setting, he seeks to capture a form of personal truth. He creates series based on abstract rhythm games and by photographing what attracts him intuitively.

Jacopo Fiorentino styling with the collection FW23/24 of Mugler, Dior, Ferragamo, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, Marine Serre

Coat and bodysuit Mugler, shoes Sergio Rossi x Area. Total looks Dior, Ferragamo, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, Marine Serre. Shirt and shorts Kochè, shoes Coperni

Jacopo Fiorentino, stylist

Jacopo Fiorentino is a stylist and DA born in 1992, based in Paris. After a degree in Archeology, he decided to devote himself to the fashion world, becoming a stylist.

Rome, Bruxelles and finally Paris where he started producing series for different magazines such as Schon, Vogue Italia and En Mode. His stylism surpasses conventional boundaries, imagining and creating strong images by fusing always different fabrics and materials to celebrate bodies and identities.