Loro Piana and the praise of lightness

In itself, entering the deepest thermal pool in the world is an alienating experience. In addition, seeing two people immersed in it dancing and moving perfectly dressed from head to toe, catapult into a poetic world, sometimes surreal. The two are not just any two, but they are free-diving champions Julie Gautier and Guillaume Néry, the location is there Y-40 The Deep Joy, an all-Italian architectural project based in Montegrotto that boasts a 42.15 meters deep pool and an underground tunnel 13 meters long, and the shoes that fit are not just any shoes, but the 360 Colorama Sneakers from Loro Piana, innovative and featherweight gymnastics.

Just 360 grams, in fact, which combine a technical, flexible and non-slip sole, with an upper in extrafine merino wool, soft and very light. The latter is capable of responding to changes in body temperature to ensure optimal comfort. To launch the new colors, blue, burgundy, brick and teal, the Italian brand loved for its fine yarns and refined elegance has decided to give life to an imaginative project, with a video with a high visual impact made by Barnaby Roper, an exceptional director and photographer who has worked with giants such as David Bowie, Moby and Snowpatrol. The whole building has been painstakingly “shed” to darken the windows, the set is armored and the air is hot and humid, like after a monsoon. Julie and Guillaume take turns in the water without stopping, with calibrated and theatrical movements, with clothes that float without disruption, weighed down with small and strategic sinkers. All without apparently making any kind of effort.

Every time they immerse themselves, one cannot help but be amazed and think that it is precisely water, more than air, their element of choice. Both French, life companions for a long time and now business partners, after years of chasing records as free-diving professionals (for Néryi -125 meters in constant weight), they now dedicate themselves to film productions, scientific and environmental dissemination with a perfect combination of aesthetics, performance, film and exploration. In a very personal way they continue to practice their discipline as an art form, which over time has become a real philosophy of life.

Loro Piana called you for this imaginative project, with a video shot practically always underwater. Can you tell us how it went?
JG: «The set day was very long and demanding, but I think the result is amazing. With the darkened windows and the bright lights we were like a bubble within a bubble. I loved the yellow dress and the lightness of the sneakers, as the colors turned out in the water. Silk is the most suitable material because it stays shiny and floats elegantly. We are used to this type of experience, but I can assure you that it is not as easy as it seems to move underwater fully dressed! “

GN: «I was very impressed by the fabrics, precious and soft to the touch, especially those of the shoes. They are made of this particular wool, which even when wet allows the sneakers to remain very light. Here, lightness is precisely the sensation we wanted to convey, which is the primary focus of the Loro Piana campaign ».

The movement of freediving, a discipline in which you have both been professionals for years, is linear, almost set. Which is very different from what you had to reproduce here.
GN: «Here at Y-40 we feel at home, the water temperature is hot at the right point, it is thermal and therefore you float more easily. Of course, they are two completely different approaches. Without a wetsuit it becomes easier to stay immersed longer, but in this type of video calibrating the movements and facial expressions is essential. The face is undoubtedly one of the most difficult parts of the body to manage, and now that I have grown my hair even those have become an extra element to consider, because they never have to cover the face. You have to learn from water, in its DNA there is that of flowing, you have to follow the flow, abandon yourself to it, but at the same time control it. Breathing is essential and over the years we have learned to play with body movements, clothing and video cameras. It is a perfomance in all respects, but the secret is to never make it look like that ».

JG: «For me it is easier because I am also a dancer, so I already know that by moving the limbs in a certain way I will get a certain type of result. For such a project, our task is to create beauty in our own way, that is, in water, one of our elements of choice. When you go diving you are focused on the body, on staying as long as possible in apnea, on the performance to be obtained, here you only think about beauty. The greatest difficulty is not to have masks, to make everything seem spontaneous, even when the water enters your nose or eyes! ».

Loro Piana is an Italian brand loved around the world for its luxurious yet comfortable elegance. What is luxury for you?
GN: «Time. Have time. Also to do nothing if necessary. Living 6 months in France and 6 months in Moorea I feel privileged from this point of view ».

JG: «Leaving, at the moment I miss it very much».

Staying in one place for too long does not belong to you. How and where did you go through the lockdown periods?
JG: «Both in France, and even if they were difficult, we still enjoyed it because we had the opportunity to slow down and live more naturally. I bought a piece of land in the countryside, I dedicated myself to trees, plants, I picked olives. There are seasons to be respected dictated by nature and I really liked this aspect ».

GN: «For me it was a tough time and at the same time magical. I had more time for myself, I was lucky. I got back to breathing. But for the first time in my life I was away from the sea, I couldn’t dive or swim as I was used to. I have always swam, always, summer and winter, rain or shine, in any condition. I really missed it so much, every day more, I was counting the minutes. The first swim in the sea after the lockdown seemed like a real return to life. My body reacted by releasing in an instant all the tensions accumulated in the previous months, I got excited ».

You really seem born to be in water, a natural element almost more than the air you breathe. When and how was this aquatic attitude born?
JG: «I was born on the island of Réunion, so I have always lived surrounded by water. My dad was a spearfishing hunter, so it was natural for me to spend my days at sea ».

GN: «I grew up in Nice, near the sea, but I didn’t get too close to it, at least until my adolescence, when I discovered diving. For me at the beginning it was just a race, a competition, the real relationship came later ».

You have been a couple in life for a long time, and now you have remained one at work. How do you handle this situation?
JG: «We have remained on excellent terms, we know each other very well, we like to work together. We understand each other with a look, both in and out of the water ».
GN: «True! We hardly need to talk, even when we have to fight! ».

What are the next projects that you are involved in? Both of you are very attentive to the issue of environmental protection.
JG: «I’m working with The SeaCleaners, we try to make films to attract attention on the theme of maritime pollution. We use our professionalism and our visibility to try to bring people to action, we cannot stand by and watch ».
GN: «I collaborate with Sea Sheperd, I also try to use my notoriety to touch as many people as possible. I am working on a large video project in the Mediterranean Sea that talks about the dangers and fragility of this wonderful sea. And then, last but not least, a book will come out that explores my connection between water ».

Is there a lesson that water has taught you in a particular way?
GN: «A lot, actually. I would say above all humility. When you dive you learn that in the end it is the water that always wins, you cannot think that you are stronger than it. Never. Man has always tried to dominate the elements, to use nature, but it doesn’t work. When you learn to respect it, you have to accept it and let it go. Only in this way do you go in depth, finding a balance ».
JG: «To slow down. Water always imposes it on you, and that’s exactly what we all have to do now ».