CAPTURING the portrait of a generation shaped by downturns is no mean feat. But the crazily beautiful, poignant aspect of our times is that youngsters—again, despite the world’s misshapes—are able to adapt, transcend and refuse all manner of conventions, ditching society’s pigeonholes to write their future, on their own terms.
Patrick Ruatti is one such example. Hailing from a little town nestled in northern Italy, he first moved to Milan and then to Germany to pursue his educational and professional path, nurturing a penchant for the world at large. Then, a trip to South Africa changed his life and mindset forever, but there’s more to his story (which you’ll read here first). You’re welcome.
Photograph: Cosimo Buccolieri
First things first: could you introduce yourself to us?
I grew up in a very small town of a few thousand people, in a region of Italy with a very low population density and not close to a bigger metropolitan city. All these aspects create an extremely conservative environment and don’t give younger people enough freedom to develop without getting judged or left out because of diversity. After graduating from high school I didn’t really know where to go or what to do with my life and therefore I gave myself some time to get clarity and understand better towards which direction my life should gravitate.
I left, for the very first time alone, and travelled to the southern part of Africa, to experience what it is like to be out in this world all by myself, facing several challenges, but coming back home with so much more self-esteem. However, I got to see that the world was not just made of people with traditional mindsets, I experienced what it was like to live my sexuality in a queer-friendly club in Cape Town and the feeling of just being young and at peace.
Photograph: Cosimo Buccolieri
How did your passion for travel begin?
I never really travelled to remote places with my family, so the hunger to discover what the rest of the world was like started probably when I was in high school, partially because of my philosophy teacher, who brought the following quotes up to describe the discovery of America by European sailors.
While “non-plus ultra” (not further beyond) has always been people’s belief during the medieval age, the end of it has been marked with the opposite quote “plus ultra” (further beyond). Gibraltar was believed to be the end of the known world during these times and when European sailors started to get hungry for discovering what the world looked like beyond that border a new epoch in human history was initiated. I always thought about this concept as a metaphor for personal growth and development.
Photograph: Cosimo Buccolieri
And what’s the most exciting thing about you leaving for a trip?
The most exciting thing about leaving for a new destination is the thought of feeling lost when arriving and then, without knowing what to expect from the place, orienting yourself, smelling what it smells like, seeing how people behave and how the energy affects me and, especially, considering me a social creature, connecting with people. I guess it is just the challenge of getting through the trip and taking in whatever I can.
How did these experiences help you in a way?
Even though I have always been an extremely open-minded person, travelling made me realize how much diversity exists out there, on the other side, we are all connected to each other, pursue similar things and have likewise purposes in our lives. I feel like travelling has made me very accepting.
When I was travelling through Myanmar with my best friend, we were cruising with a scooter through the ancient temple city of Bagan when a merchant stopped us and wanted to sell us the book “Burmese Days” by George Orwell. We started to get lost in conversations and at some point, she started to narrate about her family situation, about her kids and how important it was for her to provide proper education for them.
She was forced into marriage by her family at a very young age, and she wished the complete opposite for her own children. There is always someone who has to break the generational curse in a family and she seemed so dedicated to fighting for her children’s freedom.
Photograph: Cosimo Buccolieri
How has travelling and the world enriched (and shaped) your persona and identity?
I feel like staying in the same place for quiet sometimes gives me two different sensations. Having a routine is nice on the one hand, being able to constantly see the people who you’re most comfortable with makes it easy to create intimate and deeper connections. On the other hand, I often get the feeling of being stuck in monotony and needing a change of air quite often, and the only way for me to disconnect completely from what I am going through at a certain moment of my life is to escape from reality.
Therefore, I would say that travelling for me is a form of escapism, almost comparable to addiction and somehow the only way to free myself from all the weight I feel during harder times. It is somehow a toxic relationship I have with travelling because I cannot envision myself without it.
Photograph: Cosimo Buccolieri
What advice would you give your younger self?
When I think of my younger self, I see a teenager with a bright mind, an open mindset, a lot of creativity, sensibility and a hunger to learn. Still, so many things limited me to develop a higher self-esteem at a younger age. The fear of being left out and the following adaptation to your environment is a natural process of human beings since it is proven to be a part of our genetic inheritance, therefore, without having a safe environment, where you feel that you could get left behind for being “different” contributes to change and adapt your personality.
Just now, I know that the loss of people who don’t love the complexity of my persona is necessary but also a natural process of selecting who you want to keep and who should leave your life. I would suggest to my younger self to care less, see things lighter and make him understand that people who can’t make you feel comfortable should not stay in your life. It is fundamental to always stay true to yourself, no matter what.
by Chidozie Obasi
Photography: Cosimo Buccolieri @cosimobuccolieri via @studiorepossi
Stylist: Chidozie Obasi @chido.obasi
Hair: Davide Perfetti @ davideperfetti_ via @blendmanagement
Make up: Kim Gutierrez @elijagutierrez via @studiorepossi
Set Designer: Irene Coveri @pennyennyemmy
Producer: Jessica Lovato @jessicalovato_
Fashion Coordinator: Davide Belotti @coccobeloooo
Photography assistant: Antonio Crotti
Production assistant: Anja Menegon @anjamenegon
Fashion assistants: Lilly Padilla @lillympadilla + Elisabetta Fiore @bettafiore_ + Salma Jabri
@salma.jabry + Letizia Bincoletto @letiziabincoletto
Clothing credits:
Look 1: Top THE FRANKIE SHOP | Trousers CHB CHRISTIAN BOARO
Look 2: Top ELLESSE | Trousers CAVIA
Look 3: Top MOSCHINO | Trousers DIESEL
Look 4: Gilet PAUL SMITH | Ring TALENT’S OWN
Look 5: Jumper TOM FORD | Jeans MOSCHINO