Sometimes all it takes is a different perspective. Amedeo Bellini’s photos of Saint Laurent’s Autumn/Winter 2026 show in Paris stand out in a digital sea of abundant, seemingly replaceable, perfect 4k-content. Maybe because they’re blurry, somehow making you feel nostalgic with their graininess. Perhaps it is the lack of perfection making space for a realism we only get to see in art galleries these days. Or, it is the fact that they have been shot from the outside, looking in.
Amedeo Bellini lives in Trentino, an autonomous region in the North of Italy, making up a part of South Tyrol. Right at the top of the scenic Lake Garda. As a photographer, he’s entirely self-taught. No training, no courses, just pure curiosity – for cycling. Watching races on TV during the COVID lockdown, he got interested in photographers capturing the sport events. So, he picked up a camera and got going. What started with ducks at the lake, quickly switched to sports and portraits. And fashion? “I found this world where creativity is at the top. With sports, you are just a witness to the game. In fashion, you can put parts of yourself in. There are no rules.”
His images of Saint Laurent’s latest show have garnered over 8k likes on Instagram. Over 600 comments, 400 reposts and being forwarded more than 700 times, it is safe to say: People enjoy an outside perspective. Authentic and raw, the photos look so unplanned that in today’s world, you’d think they are the result of a full-blown strategy. We sat down with the Italian freelance photographer to find out what went down March 3rd in Paris…
Your photos of the Saint Laurent Autumn/Winter 2026 show have resonated with a lot of people, especially the fashion crowd. Take us through how the images came to be on that day.
I went to Paris on my own for Fashion Week. That day, the Dior show was at 2 p.m., and then Saint Laurent at 8. When I arrived at the venue, I realised that you could see inside. So I picked a spot – a lucky one. From there, you could see the guests arriving, the models walking the runway. They appeared, walked in front of me, turned again, and then went back. I got to shoot the show with no pressure. I was just in my zone. Then, I went home and started editing with no expectation at all. I was not even thinking about it. A couple days later, I posted on Instagram and decided to tag Outlander Magazine. I thought, maybe they would like it. Again, not expecting anything. Around 30 minutes later, they did a post on my photos, and it just blew up. It was amazing.
Going through your Instagram and website, you’ve done some fashion photography in the past, but nothing has had quite the effect like these show images had. What made the difference, do you think?
I mean, personally I like the pictures. They came out great. Also, it was a good environment to capture. Really, I think it’s the story behind it. Someone outside can get a vision of what is inside. Many people can relate to that, because more of us are outsiders rather than insiders in the industry. The photos are proof that you can do something like this, be part of it, even if you’re not inside with the exclusive crowd.
Out of all the reactions – comments, likes, reposts – you have received on social media, what or who has surprised, or excited you the most?
What surprised me the most was Anthony Vaccarello liking Outlander’s post. He even reposted the post in his story. I mean, it can’t get better than that. It really was a highlight for me. It’s the ultimate approval.
Your images have a painterly quality to them. They’re reminiscent of American Realism and painters such as Edward Hopper. Did you use a special technique? What is post-production like?
I slightly adjust exposure, maybe balance the colour a bit. The blurriness and panning happens when I photograph. I don’t like artificially adding those effects. It tends to look fake. With sport photography, you’re capturing a lot of movement, so I am used to it. Everything that I have learned in the past five years of being a photographer, I put into this 20-minute show. It’s always a mixture of “normal”, clear images to freeze the moment and then some blurry ones. The last step is just cropping them. Some of them I change to black and white.
What are your plans for the future?
I would like to focus more on fashion. I like sports, but I do prefer fashion. Currently, I have some projects coming up. One’s about to come out and the other is still a work in progress. Of course, there’s a plan to do fashion weeks again. I like the vibe. In the past, I’ve been to Milan. Only for a day, but that’s easy given that I live nearby. For the last AW shows in Paris, I did the full week. I gifted that to myself, if you will. Then, there are also London and Copenhagen that I’d be interested in. New York is too far for now; and of course Berlin!
Your point of view was literally an outsider’s, yet you have caught the attention of insiders. For anyone wanting to start out in streetstyle/fashion photography, what would you advise them?
What I did was not to wait to become a part of this world. I just went and tried my best. In Paris, I was lucky. The Saint Laurent show photos went viral. Luck is always part of the story. Essentially, you have to go to the shows, take photographs and meet people. Yes, it can be a slow process, but you always have to give it a go. Make sure you can get to where you want to be. I went to Milan and Paris, because that’s where I see myself. Even if I’m not inside the industry yet, I’m there. You never know what and when something can happen. It’s all about taking initiative and luck will follow.
Photography AMEDEO BELLINI
Text LISA ZIRNGAST
