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The sea has always been an essential part of Enzo Barracco’s life. The photographer grew up on the Mediterranean. “The ocean was like my white canvas—all my dreams, all my hopes were there,” says the gregarious Sicilian over a video call from his home in New York. “I grew up with this incredible endless font of inspiration every day.”
He took pictures of the sea, and—after holding his first exhibition on the island of Pantelleria—embarked for Milan and then London to start a career as a fashion photographer. Happening upon a book about the explorer Ernest Shackleton, he was struck with inspiration, and decided to plan his own expedition to Antarctica—as you do. The experience, which was as hazardous as it was exhilarating, changed the trajectory of both his career and his mindset. “When I returned to London, it was very difficult to go back to shooting fashion,” he explains.
Now a dedicated nature photographer, Barracco spends his time traveling the world documenting its natural beauty, and collaborates closely with the Prada Group through its Sea Beyond ocean conservation initiative. This month, his work arrived at the Prada store in Aoyama, Tokyo, and tomorrow, December 11, he will be joined for an in-store conversation featuring Francesca Santoro, senior program officer at UNESCO IOC (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission). The Tokyo event is the second installment of Sea Beyond, following a New York launch earlier in the year, with the goal to spread the message of ocean conservation around the world.
Photographs from Barracco’s latest book, The Blue on Fire, Hawai’i, are exhibited on the fifth floor of the Aoyama store. Depicting the natural beauty of the archipelago, the collection of photos builds on an oeuvre that has taken Barracco around the world, where he has documented melting icebergs, rare wildlife, and the dynamism of the ocean in astonishing photos that reveal both the innate power and intense vulnerability of the natural world.
For Barracco and Santoro, joining forces with Prada Group has been vital for spreading the word about ocean conservation and climate change. The photographer became a Sea Beyond ambassador in 2020, and has built an ongoing relationship with the brand, which publishes sustainability reports in an effort to be more transparent about its processes.
Now is an important time for fashion’s heavyweights to hold themselves accountable on the sustainability front. Fashion is, of course, often at odds with environmentalism—it’s often said to be the second most polluting business after oil and gas—and the industry’s insatiable drive for newness makes it hard to defend. “I really believe that education is the key,” says Barracco. “Prada can reach a very large audience around the world, and I hope my work makes people curious and creates a dialogue.”
UNESCO’s Santoro agrees, and adds that these kinds of partnerships between environmental experts and leaders in the fashion space are crucial to the future of conservation efforts. For her, it’s about setting an example. “A brand like Prada that shows that they can use their influence and their expertise in terms of changing some of their production processes and changing the use of some fabrics is very important.”
This is where Prada’s Re-Nylon fabric comes in, which the company makes by recycling plastics collected from oceans, fishing nets, and landfills (1% of the proceeds from the Prada Re-Nylon for the Sea Beyond Collection benefit Sea Beyond). By 2026, the brand hopes to source 80% of its nylon from recycled or bio-based sources. “I think it can really inspire others. [Brands] often use excuses not to change, because sustainability is not an easy path,” says Santoro. “But when you show that it’s possible, there are no excuses anymore.”
While large-scale, systemic changes are necessary, Barracco says that some of the most impactful changes happen on an individual basis. His advice is simple: “Connect more with nature,” he says. “You don’t need to go to a crazy remote place like Antarctica. Take your time to experience your garden or your park. If you take your time to look, you will see. What nature does every day is totally marvelous.”
Enzo Barracco’s photos will be on display at Prada’s Aoyama store until December 29th, 2024
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