#playasyouare I 11 characters who are not "in search of an author" since they successfully play as they are in their everyday life: a bunch of cool kids come together to tell their own stories/to be lensed by one of the most coveted visual storyteller at the moment. Whether they stand out from the crowd of upcoming street culture, or run millenial business in fancy industries such as Arts, Sports, Entertainment and Fashion, they all share a common attitude, a peculiar sense for present-day lifestyles and a personal glow as powerful tools of self-expression.

Photography: @alessandrotreves 
Art & Style: @eleonoragaspari_ 
Video: @jonasongaro & @niccolo_natali

1. AMEDEO  @ame__2.0

Born in a small town near Turin and since always known as Ame, 23yo son of suburb cultures and rap music, new cool voice on the scene with his signature "techboy" sound now represented by Yalla Movement, the hot label & talent project by Italian rap legends such as Big Fish and Jake La Furia. Currently based in Milan but dividing his time between life on stage and his second one as sound engineer managing a big recording studio and location in Turin.
1. Rap or Techno: what's the biggest/first influence? Rap is where I belong
2. The first time you said to yourself: I'm gonna take it seriously. First real contract I signed
3. And the last you had to say yourself something. I don't feel like I've made it, I have so many dreams and life goals left and each new day is the one to challenge myself again and again
4. Stage or studio? In the spotlight or behind the scenes? Both crucial in the Whole process and on every level: personal life, business, creativity.

2. ALEXIA @varyaren
Poliedric Milan based beauty freelancing as a model, make up artist and nightlife PR. Born in 1997 with her cat eyes and an early passion for all things beauty and fashion, is now  featuring in several projects and campaigns from big and cool streetwear brands and has quickly become a coveted muah in the rap & indie music industry.
1. Fave eye make up on you.  Winged eyeliner with neon color in the inner corner of the eye.
2. A skill you have still to improve.  I didn’t have many opportunities to do special FX makeup and would love to be better at it.
3. Working with: your own beauty or Others?  I love experimenting makeup looks on new faces, it’s challenging.
4. The best party night in Milan. I may be biased ... but I’d say Saturday nights at Apollo Club 
3. STOLE @moabvillain


Born in Macedon and raised in South Tyrol, art director and graphic designer behind many of the most relevant music, merchandising and streetwear works as we speak. Young creative talent and opportunity catcher, 22yo and already a name in big visual projects for the rap industry.

1. Moving to Milan: first impact? Confusing at first but soon enough I realized that after all the life I imagined was actually possible, and it was possibile here. 
2. Any artwork from your former life as a small-town teenage writer you would channel today as a pro? I’m very self critical, I eventually end up “hating” 90% of my old projects. There’s still some good old collages though that I think led to the development of my current creative process and style.
3. Origins, beliefs and influences: how did you find the balance? Did you? Still haven’t. I think that til you keep creating, exploring and researching you’ll never find true balance. It’s an eternal work in progress.
4. Biggest thanks you feel to say for your achievements? Myself.

4. LUCA E UGHY @ignaviaexcusatus @ughy.lit


Luca:Born in Bergamo, living in Milan, dreaming internationally. 25 yo artist coming from Brera Academy of Fine Arts with a passion for body and performing arts, currently involved in a Milan-based artistic collective project and modeling at times. Techno lover with a punk attitude looking for new underground scenes to set in.


1. Next city you're gonna move to: Hamburg
2. Rave parties or performance art? Performance
3. Fave body painting subject: Body art is not body painting. Marina Abramovic is a body Artist like Yves Klein, Joan Jonas and more.
4. Is modeling an art form? Not really. Voguing can combine modeling and art instead.

Ughy:Born 22 years ago in Lithuania, raised under the sun of Sardinia, currently studying and modeling in Milan. A cultural mix of Soviet heritage and Southern Italy vibes, coming from a family of journalists and musicians, since always experimenting in music and arts, with a natural writing talent to be soon turned into a job as copywriter.

1. What's your biggest family legacy? The natural sense for music and creativity.
2. And the strongest one from both Lithuania and Sardinia? Women empowerment and family.
3. Is modeling a kind of training for your next professional life? Yes, it helps a lot in developing your own mark in self expression and confidence on every level
4. Playing: piano, guitar or violin? Can’t really choose one. But I’d love to play sax next.

5. ANNA AKA TWIGGY @annatwiggytattooist


Anna aka Twiggy, Milanese by adoption since her early twenties, former barlady who started experimenting tattoo art on pig feet to be exhibited in a jar in Milan's cool spots. Globe trotter with collabs with studios ranging from London to Venice and Palermo - to name a few - specialized in black&white drawings inspired by religious subjects, early '900 illustrations and classic Medieval art. Cat lady, mom of Charleston the Sphynx, rock'n'roll and rockabilly soul with an ultimate passion for swing-related dance such as lindy hop.
1. Pig feet in formalin: any passion or heritage in CSI-like stuff? Not really, just a passion for Wunderkammer-like things
2. Sacred and profane: which does inspire you the most? Definitely profane
3. Channeling: '50s rockabilly or '30s-'40s swing? '30s-'40s swingin every possibile related dance
4. Feeling better: in a tattoo studio or on the dancefloor? Studio feels like home, but dancefloor is where my heart goes boom

6.ENRIQUE @enrique.mglrn

Twenty-something cool kid, member of skater squad and creative team Pastafrollasquad, photographer, emerging face in Italian streetwear, party animal, fast-food enthusiast and brand ambassador at times.

1. Tacos or hamburgers? Definitely tacos!
2. Digital snaps or analog lens: does it really change your point of view on things? Analog lenses but also digital shots are not bad, but I prefer the vibe provided by analog lenses.
3. Should you go for just one big thing in life: photography, streetwear or skateboard? Skateboarding is my biggest dream, so skate and destroy!!
4. Would you ever shave your head? did it long ago, but at the moment, if I had to do it, I would do it just to change my wave pattern.

7. STEFANO @stabber
“Artificial” kid of 1980 and part of the eponymous legendary underground project from his Roman period, born in L’Aquila and Milan-based producer as we speak, signature name behind most of the hippest tracks in the indie and rap music industry with his iconic hip hop and electronic sound, beautiful mind graduated in Physics, dad of Joy the Spanish Greyhound.

1. Music and Physics: any relation? Passion and devotion.
2. What’s Joy’s fave work from your portfolio? His fav work from my portfolio is the moment I stop making music to take him to the park.
3. All time sound which inspires you the most? 808 kick drum.
4. L’Aquila, Rome and now Milan: next stop? Mars?

8. ALLISON @allisonfullin

24 yo, freelancing as image maker and fashion stylist, raised in Venice and then moved to Milan with a background in the art & design field, natural born music enthusiast with Cuban blood running through her veins, working with many Italian artists in the industry and dreaming of retiring in Cuba - her mom's homeland - one day.

1. Self expression: Styling or painting? Painting is a limitless space for imagination and vision, while styling is challenging as long as you can adapt your taste to others’ needs and features.
2. Fave artist: to be channeled in painting; to work with in image making? Currently, my biggest inspiration comes from today’s new graphic artists such as _mi_ki_kim , I love scouting new cool names on social media.
3.Top 3 style essentials? Attitude, for sure. And something disruptive, unexpected.
4.Venice, Milan and Cuba: biggest influence in your personal background? Cuba, basically. Even though every place leaves something peculiar behind. But Cuba if the one I feel deep inside every time.

9. PIETRO @pampaninpietro
Z-gen tennis player, literally raised on the court since he was 5 under the wind of Trieste, his hometown, upcoming Italian name channeling tennis legends such as Andy Murray, very goal-oriented and hard-working, natural born fighter pursuing a PRO carreer in the spotlight.

1. Teen life in professional sports: anything you miss from others' life? Spare time, hanging out with friends.
2. Your best tennis skill? Staying focused, never giving up.
3. The one you should still train for? Serve is what I’ve been more focused on lately, concentration the one I should further improve.
4. Things you like out of the court? Spending time with my friends and my dog. I’m such a dog person.

10. MINO @minoluchena
Born in Pesaro, based in Milan, a name in Italian underground scene, Gabber Eleganza official supporter, vinyl collector and dj, renowned tattoo artist at The Tattoo Shop, Alina's hubby.

1. What goes around comes around: list a top five of your all time fave from the past to bring back into present day lifestyles. I wouldn’t describe myself as a true vintage collector, I’d rather enjoy weird, extreme, trend-forward things from the past to be back, whether in music, fashion or whatever
2. Pesaro to Milano: round trip or turning point? Small-town boy, big-city tattoo artist, or both? Coming from a small town has taught me to seek for and catch opportunities, so traveling is defintely a things in my whole life. After 12 years here I can say Milan is a place I can call home.
3. Your signature drawing on paper as a kid. And the one today on skin. Skulls, since always. A very strong, but still quite simple subject to start from to experiment with drawings and colors.
4. Choose an artwork to be: tattooed on your wife; street painted. It wouldn’t be the first time I ink my wife, for us is a kind of couple ritual and we never planned it, just going with the flow when together. But there’s a new drawing from my portfolio - a necklace of butterlies and spiderwebs - she’s considering.