My evenings on the sofa. I know: it’s not proper to lay on the sofa wearing shoes. But I have to say that the mood of the picture I chose gives a feeling of great relax; so come on, be indulgent, only this time, I promise. And then there are lots of details I like: the turning table, the coffee mug, the scented candle. The carpet with geometrical pattern. The lighter (yes, I do smoke). This makes me think about when I come back home from work, after a hard day. Coffee (I drink a lot of coffee, even in the evening), cigarette and music. Laying on the sofa, playing Ruzzle and looking for new photographers, illustrators and artists on Instagram. But I take off my shoes.

Italy-France 1-1. France/Italy: the eternal conflict between two very similar cultures, between two countries that, after all, respect each other but often understand each other. In spite of the intellectual inclinations that we have in common, the love for art, gardening, food, design and fashion, just to mention a part of them, we think that french people are too snobbish and they think that we are too rowdy. There’s a little bit of truth in both cases, indeed…But their “snobbery” comes from the awareness of a sense of national union and cohesion that we – unfortunately – don’t feel so much. In this column we usually talk about fashion; let’s stay on the topic. Feminine fashion comes from them. The pret-à-porter from us. Fabrics are italian, but the skill and the genius of Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior are a milestone and, to this day, a model. The haute couture in french, while mensfashion comes from Italy. Nobody wins, nobody loses. But the natural elegance of our cousins has no equals in the world. They have a natural, almost unaware, style. They don’t show off like us, but you can notice them at a long distance. Maybe it means something. Ph. by William Klein from the book Paris+Klein (Contrasto Due).

The songwriter Newton Faulkner photographed by Timur Celikdag, wearing Hermès. Styling Alessandro Calascibetta.

The exception to the rule. Timeless beauty. When elegance and charisma coexist, there’s not much to talk about, the picture talks for itself. Mr Irons, on the set for Style Magazine december 2015, was dressed really…normally: pullover, a scarf, dark jeans. The only almost clashing detail, but typical of the american taste, that belongs to the clichè of a great and a bit capricious actor: pointed boots. It’s ok. They’re ok. But you have to be tall. When I was a boy I often dressed like this, I liked it: a pullover, five-pockets in bleached denim and the above-menioned “camperos”. At eighteen you can wear almost everything. And then I was in perfect harmony with the trends. Jeremy Irons can wear almost everything because he’s a global star! Today the boots under the jeans are honestly outdated. But Irons doesn’t make fashion, he makes movies, he does it well and we like him. Total respect. But if you aren’t him, please, wear a pair of desert boots. Jeremy Irons in a picture by Brigitte Lacombe for Style Magazine.