Financial Times - HTSI Magazine

May 2026

Captured against the stark, primordial backdrop of a volcanic landscape, the Love on the Rocks editorial for Financial Times HTSI Magazine masterfully recontextualizes luxury designer fashion through a lens of rugged naturalism. The imagery, lensed by the talented duo Lola + Pani, channels an evocative, cinematic quality that elevates the wearer’s interaction with the environment. By placing soft, vibrant textiles and casual silhouettes—styled by Julian Ganio—within the jagged, porous rock formations, the project creates a deliberate tension between the ethereal and the terrestrial. This lifestyle-driven editorial leans into the stark monochromatic contrasts of the setting, where the deliberate use of natural light ensures that the subjects remain anchored in the physical world while maintaining an aspirational, high-end allure. Hair stylist Takuya Uchiyama adds a sense of effortless, wind-swept movement to the models, notably Mack Karpes, ensuring that the styling feels authentic rather than staged. With casting directed by Piergiorgio Del Moro, the project avoids the overly polished tropes of traditional luxury lookbooks, opting instead for a gritty, atmospheric narrative. This is fashion storytelling at its most tactile, where every fold of fabric and shadow across the terrain tells a story of modern exploration. The final output serves as a sophisticated testament to how editorial minimalism can transform a stark environment into a canvas for contemporary design.

Lifestyle, Editorial, Cinematic

Natural light

Designer Fashion, Fashion