After years in the publishing industry, meeting and working together in editorial offices and photographic studios, we realized we also really liked to meet around a table or in the kitchen. So, in January 2021 we created Contorno.
And it’s meetings that actually inspire our idea of cooking – the meeting of Italy’s best ingredients with spices and flavors from distant lands, giving rise to innovative recipes and pairings. We use vegetables, legumes, grains, fruit and some animal products, and combine them with minimum waste – seeds, roots, leaves, sprouts, flesh and peels are all welcome in our preparations. Our idea is to give the side dish a central role in contemporary cooking – a free cuisine made of different interesting, tasty dishes for trying and sharing. And that photograph incredibly well.
We are Contorno, but we are also legion. Our penchant for meeting often leads us to work with other top image and food professionals.
Working for years as an art director for magazines Elle, Velvet and D La Repubblica, I have always thought that a good project is the result of many hands and many eyes. Working as a team is essential to me, and curiosity is always what drives me. The photo set is my natural environment, and I’m filled with wonder every time I discover that the right combination of light, color and objects can produce amazing pictures. I love “getting my hands dirty”, so at Contorno you’ll find me all over the place – in the kitchen, on the set, sitting at my computer and even prowling the street market. But I’m the boss, so they all just have to live with it.
No, it’s not a stage name. But in all of the cities where I’ve lived (Genoa, where I was born, Milan, Paris, Rio de Janeiro), Barbagelata is a name that’s not easily forgotten. Growing up fated to be unforgettable, I strive to make sure all my shots live up to my name. I’m mainly in furniture, advertising and portraits. I also produce food photos, but never let me cook – that would be some unforgettable experience!
I’ve always been into food. As a child, I read little other than cookbooks and geography books, and the kitchen held a special fascination for me. Although I attended many cooking courses, I got my real schooling from spying on the amazing chefs in my family – my mom, grandmothers and aunts. As a food writer and stylist, I collaborate in nationwide and global advertising campaigns and periodicals. A curious traveler, I have always been attracted to other cultures’ cuisines and am always looking for new ingredients and pairings to experiment with new flavor combinations bringing together innovation and tradition.
After studying art and a short experience in the fashion industry, I finally gave in to my strong passion for sweets, which I developed as a child in the family bakery. I love to let my dough rise slowly, make custards, flavor butter. I started out as an assistant to some of the top food stylists, who gave me the chance to find a job that combines all of my passions: cooking, beauty and photography.
Food, design and art, and then some! My interests are so wide-ranging it’s hard to list them all. I’m curious, sometimes even to a fault, but this allowed me to develop many different tastes that have helped me grow both personally and professionally. I have two great passions: striped shirts and unorthodox color combinations. I love cooking but I love eating even more, as everyone tells me. Mise en place is my religion!
Born in Piedmont, I started my career in 1999 at a famous photographic studio, where I worked for a long time with my mentor. I specialize in fashion still lifes, but my real passion is food photos (and food in general). Several years ago I opened my own studio in Milan, where I currently live with my partner and two beautiful daughters, Viola and Tea. I love traveling, climbing, scuba diving, cooking for friends, and generally doing anything that can provide inspiration for my great passion, which I’ve turned into a job. I have worked and still work with some of the top fashion magazines in Italy, including A, Amica, D la Repubblica delle Donne, DLui, Io Donna, Max, Vanity Fair, Style Magazine, Velvet as well as with different brands.