C41 and PAURA combine their aesthetic signatures characterised by the passion for utility, durability, and simplicity. After a long day at work, people express their individuality through diverse clothing choices, reflecting personal preferences, cultural influences, and social trends. As workwear found its fertile ground in street culture, the idea behind the total look presented by C41 and PAURA is inspired by the late-night shift that proceeds till the early hours of the morning.

It’s a Wrap total look is worn by Black Elephant. Born in Reggio Emilia, Italy, in 1991, he delved into the world of graphic design and visual art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna. In the lowlands of Emilia Romagna, boredom made him try in every way to bring to life a richer and more interesting world born of his imagination: this is how he approached the possibilities offered by computers, including video mapping when it was still a niche known to very few.

Ilaria Sponda: Who’s Black Elephant? Who’s Andrea Colacicco?

Black Elephant: I would say they are the same person, whereas having developed this name between the ages of 16 and 17. Back in the day, it was a character that wanted to be seen in a somewhat different light. As a kid, I was in search of an identity that could make him freer to express myself artistically without too many prejudices caused by living in a relatively small town where art was understood only by the big clichés like painting, sculpture, and little else.

IS: Where does creativity begin regarding digital art, video mapping, and 3D?

BE: You analyse the world, ask questions about what is around you, and how your creative abilities could change that reality by making it part of your personal imagery. In terms of video mapping more specifically, I would say it is a matter of volume and depth. Whenever I contemplate a structure and its forms by now I am used to imagining what could be changed at the structural level or simply distorting what in our perception is the function of that place or element.

IS: How did you start working in AR?

BE: I started about 12 years ago with computers that honestly supported neither 3D in all the programs I use simultaneously now… It was symbiotically also a mind-boggling technological journey having lived through those years. You would work with fake shadows of the 3D objects you wanted to do, rendering only 1 frame at a time to understand whether the work could go well!

IS: What’s fascinating about merging fashion and digital art according to your experience?

BE: The endless possibility in the choices you can make!!! The fashion industry is an absolute powerhouse in communication and message variation with multiple points of view, going perfectly with what can be created with digital art (my whole world).

IS: How would you describe the connection between your visual thoughts and what you create digitally?

BE: It’s difficult to describe, it is a world of many visions that spring forth in multiple moments and their digital representation is just a translation of that moment. I would say I would define with contemporary style, international influences, and a penchant for Eastern creative style.

IS: Does Milan give you any inspiration for your works?

BE: I would not say that it is Milan that inspires me, but mostly living in this city with the freedom to be myself and express myself.

IS: How has the process of making yourself stand out been in the years from when digital art was not “a thing” till now?

BE: The process was simple: insist, insist, and insist. I never stopped trying to evolve what I do daily, and in the beginning globally there were very few pioneers in this world. Even many years ago I was showing work and creativity to possible clients who saw my designs as impossible to decipher at the level of communication for a wide audience. But now after about 10 to 12 years we have arrived at this new social development.