“DONNE DI MILANO”
A Tribute to Milanese Women
In a tribute to Milanese women and the city’s vibrant soul, Khrisjoy and celebrated artist Maripol unveil “Donne di Milano,” a striking artistic takeover of the Montenapoleone
subway stop in Milan, transformed into a public art gallery pulsing with energy.
The series of thirty portraits, curated and captured by the legendary Maripol, presents a living mosaic of Milanese identity through exceptional faces embodying the freedom, strength, diversity, and creativity that define the city.
Renowned for her pioneering work in Polaroid photography and her contribution to pop culture, Maripol brings her singular vision to Milan, street casting thirty women who embody the authenticity of the city itself. From emerging creatives to seasoned professionals, from the avant-garde to the everyday, these portraits capture the essence of today’s Milanese femininity — pop, unapologetic, and distinctly powerful.
Each image is set against Maripol’s vividly colored backgrounds, a deliberate nod to the joyful irreverence of pop culture and a statement on Milan as an electric, exuberant and cosmopolitan city where fearless self-expression is welcomed.
“For me, beauty is everywhere and in everything. I wanted real people, women who live Milan, who shape its energy. Some I knew, some I didn’t, some I had met as little girls.
What I wanted to capture was their essence, their truth, beyond any predefined notion of femininity,” says Maripol. “The city is a mosaic, and these portraits are fragments of its soul. Milan is freedom to be, to create, to reinvent oneself without apology. That’s what these women represent. They are strong, unconventional, diverse. Some were nervous, unaccustomed to the camera, but in that vulnerability, there is power. I wanted them to feel seen, to recognize themselves in this project. They are not just subjects, they are the city itself - its movement, its contradictions, its boundless creativity. Each portrait is a statement: Milan is not just fashion, not just architecture, it’s rather the people who inhabit it, who bring it to life every day.”
The Maripol x Khrisjoy project takes over the Montenapoleone subway station decking its walls and screens in artistic photography for a democratic and immersive experience accessible to all through the end of February. Art belongs to the city and the installation represents Khrisjoy’s gift to Milan, a city deeply rooted in its DNA.
In addition to the large-scale digital prints displayed in the metro, Maripol has also captured these women on Polaroid, creating a rare and intimate face book. The print portraits appear in a one-of-a-kind, oversized art book conceived as a box, a collector’s
piece that encapsulates the raw, analog essence of Maripol’s artistry.
Marking the unveiling of the art project, Khrisjoy, Maripol and the thirty women starring in this living portrait of the city hosted a vernissage at the Grand Hotel et de Milan on February 17th welcoming guests and the brand’s community.
A manifesto and a love letter to Milan, the Maripol x Khrisjoy art installation and book celebrate the collision of art, fashion, and identity.
Maripol x Khrisjoy
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About Maripol
Maripol is a renowned artist, photographer, producer and designer, celebrated for her iconic and effortlessly stylish one-take Polaroid images of many icons of the 20th century, chronicling a pivotal and vibrant time of New York City’s artistic history. Former art director at hip Italian fashion label Fiorucci and founder of the accessory brand Maripolitan, Maripol also dabbled in film making producing “Downtown 81.” Maripol’s work has been exhibited at major art institutions including MoMA P.S.1, Fondation Cartier, Brooklyn Museum, NGV Melbourne, and Guggenheim Bilbao, among others. Maripol continues to influence fashion and art through photography, collaborations, and culturaldocumentation.
https://maripol.com/
