In the busy world of high fashion, where precision meets poetry, Mattia Masi @topazbox has become a storyteller who turns leather, silk, and light into visual sonnets. Based in Milan, the photographer and retoucher is known for intimate campaigns, such as capturing Federica Labanca’s effortless chic for Miss Dior or bottling the rebellious spirit of Cultnaked’s Mary Furtas. His work is a contrast of raw authenticity and polished luxury, with no borders or expectations.
When he was asked to shoot the Miss Dior Bag campaign with model Federica Labanca, Masi had only 40 minutes to do so. But for him, pressure is not the enemy.
“When you love what you do, pressure becomes creative fuel,” he says.
He shot in Labanca’s London apartment and seized the harmony between her taupe-toned living room and the bag’s warm colors. A strategically placed art piece added sophistication, in line with Dior’s understated grandeur. “Every detail must whisper luxury—even in chaos,” he says.
And time constraints disappeared into timelessness.
Masi’s portfolio is like a passport: an avant-garde take on Federica Labanca and a surrealist ode to “Madame Palm”. His secret? A chameleon-like adaptability.
“Style isn’t static—it evolves with every culture, every collaborator,” he explains.
Whether he’s soaking up the opulence of Mumbai or the minimalism of Vilnius, Masi immerses himself in narratives, merging his artistic voice with the brand’s DNA. For him, the magic is in “listening, observing and crafting realities that feel both familiar and fantastical.” Behind Masi’s dreamy images lies a technical precision. Lighting is planned with military precision, using softboxes and grids to create “impact without clutter.” Composition is a balancing act— “every element must earn its place in the frame.”
Post-production is a delicate series of touch-ups rather than an overhaul. “Retouching should enhance, not erase,” he says. This philosophy is evident in campaigns like Coccinelle, where structured lighting turned handbags into art, and Cultnaked, where candid shots of founder Mary Furtas sizzle with raw energy.
For Coccinelle, Masi turned the talents’ chosen spaces into stages of luxury. Soft light caressed leather textures, while muted backdrops let the bags—and the women holding them—take centre stage. With Cultnaked, chaos reigned. “Their campaigns thrive on chaos,” he says, recalling a shoot born from candid moments at a Tech Powered Luxury event. “Mary’s energy is electric— you don’t need a set when the talent is the scene.”
In an era of endless digital frames, Masi’s love for film cameras is a rebellion. “Film demands intentionality,” he notes. No rapid-fire shots just measured breaths between clicks. This analog discipline gives his work a grainy nostalgia, visible in projects like his viral Grammy Awards reportage. “Film connects you to the moment—it’s raw, imperfect and utterly human.”
Mattia Masi doesn’t just photograph fashion; he curates emotions. Whether he’s framing Federica Labanca in golden-hour light or freezing Mary Furtas’ mid-laugh, his lens seeks the heartbeat beneath the haute couture. “Perfection is forgettable,” he says. “But a flaw? That’s where the story begins.” In a world obsessed with filters, Masi’s work is a love letter to the unvarnished truth—one frame at a time.