The Now Icon: Lenny Kravitz

It was 1989 and that "Let love rule" was destined to enter the collective musical imagination. Since then 31 years have passed and Lenny Kravitz , now almost 56 years old, is an icon of international music. It holds the record for the highest number of Grammy Awards related to the best male rock vocal interpretation. And with his very personal musical vocabulary of pop-rock and neopsychedelia, folk, funky and reggae he wrote mythical staves. Today, on the eve of an important tour called “ Here to Love tour ˮ, which will also touch Italy, and of a single, “ Rideˮ , accompanied by the video studied in four hands with the photographer-star Mark Seliger , Kravitz is a talent multifaceted. Alongside music, he expresses his creativity by touching different disciplines. Like photography or interior design (with his Kravitz design he dressed the 75 Kenmare of New York, a deluxe condominium located on the street of the same name in NoLita, ed.). By merging the two, the project was born with Dom Pérignon , of which he is creative director. For the LVMH group's champagne house he created two exclusive bottles and signed a series of black & white shots, protagonists of the traveling exhibition " Assemblage ". But his heart still beats madly for the music: «I learned from my many mistakes, which led me to where I am today. I have changed in a positive way, I am peaceful. Music helped me to overcome difficult moments ». And yesterday as today his mantra is only one: «Let love rule, forever and ever. Love is our greatest strength on earth; only love can bring us peace and happiness ».

How did you discover the passion for photography?
I've always been attracted to the camera, my father was a journalist. He also worked for NBC News from the late 1950s to the 1980s: he was one of the typical New York journalists. My father came back from Vietnam when I was still a child and had a Leica at home that I could not touch for any reason in the world. But I was terribly fascinated by it. And I secretly went to look at her, touch her, explore her ... Then later, when I turned 21, she gave me the camera. I didn't use it much. When I released my first album in 1989, I was 24 and I was definitely shy. Most of the time I was embarrassed in front of photographers. When I started taking the first official shots I loved madly going to the dark room with photographers and stealing their secrets. There I became interested in how the process behind the camera worked. I had the great opportunity to meet great photographers. By observing them I became aware of what photography was. Slowly I started shooting, seriously, about 14 years ago. And I exhibited my first photo book during an edition of Art Basel | Miami Beach. And from there this new adventure began.

How did you discover the passion for photography?
I've always been attracted to the camera, my father was a journalist. He also worked for NBC News from the late 1950s to the 1980s: he was one of the typical New York journalists. My father came back from Vietnam when I was still a child and had a Leica at home that I could not touch for any reason in the world. But I was terribly fascinated by it. And I secretly went to look at her, touch her, explore her ... Then later, when I turned 21, she gave me the camera. I didn't use it much. When I released my first album in 1989, I was 24 and I was definitely shy. Most of the time I was embarrassed in front of photographers. When I started taking the first official shots I loved madly going to the dark room with photographers and stealing their secrets. There I became interested in how the process behind the camera worked. I had the great opportunity to meet great photographers. By observing them I became aware of what photography was. Slowly I started shooting, seriously, about 14 years ago. And I exhibited my first photo book during an edition of Art Basel | Miami Beach. And from there this new adventure began.

Do you remember the first professional photo you took?
The first ones were those of the exhibition. They were photos of me photographing people, photographing me. I shot during the tour, on free days. I went out on the street to make reports and every time I went out fans and paparazzi began to photograph me. And that's why they didn't let me do what I went out for: photographing. There were a lot of people around me. I started photographing them while photographing me, just for fun. Jean-Baptiste Mondino saw this series of shots and said to me: "This is what you will shoot for your first exhibition". And in the end it was just like that.

What is the difference between staying in front of and behind the lens?
I prefer to stay behind. With my head I'm always behind the camera lens ... And in fact I break the boxes to the photographer saying: "Hey man, the light is not good, maybe you should change the angle ..." But in the end it is fun, the shooting becomes collaborative.

And how did you decide to work for the Dom Pérignon project?
I have a friend who is the former chef de cave with whom I started a relationship about fourteen years ago. I started to try Dom Pérignon at dinners, at tastings, in specialized shops and above all I started to get interested in the realization process. We always liked working together ... And we did it.

What did you try to express with the photos of “Assemblageˮ?
I love to photograph. I think it's fantastic to be able to tell the environment and people with one click. I like to bring people from different backgrounds, different disciplines, different ages together. In this case we took everything during a dinner at home, my daughter was also there ...

One of the most beautiful shots is the one in which you are in the background and there is Zoë ...
Oh sure! That was taken before the shooting, it is a fragment from behind the scenes. And yes, I love it too. I wanted to be very natural, the whole project revolves around the concepts of connection, communication, sharing. Only one of the shots had a precise set, the one in the kitchen, but for the simple fact that everyone had to be in the right place. For the rest, it was simply me who watched others interact, move, drink champagne ...

How proud are you of Zoë?
She is the most beautiful thing I have ever done. We are very, very close. The same kind of relationship my mother had with me (actress Roxie Rocker, who passed away in 1995, editor's note). She grew up with me, she saw the kind of life I had, she was always surrounded by artists. Now she has become much smarter than me and her mother (actress Lisa Bonet, editor's note), and today it is I who look to her as a guide.

Today you are a 360 ° artist. You compose, sing, act, take pictures, furniture designs, houses ... What is the creative area in which you feel most comfortable?
All. It's really just a matter of inspiration: I let myself be inspired by life, by the people I meet, by everything around me. Everything can be interesting if you are able to catch it. I try to be spontaneous in this, I let things come to me without looking for them. I learned to wait. This is the only way the best ideas are born.

But your heart is all for the music, so much so that this year you will be the protagonist of a particularly awaited global tour ...
I still feel the magic when I compose a piece, I'm never tired of doing it. I think my music has improved over the years, but the creative process has remained more or less the same. My mantra is: wait, be patient, let things come to you. I understand that I have to wait for the moment when the spark goes off. It doesn't matter where you are, who you are with. When you feel it you feel it.

How much has the world of music changed in recent years?
A lot ... But with my music I have always tried to convey positive messages, to unite people. I sing above all about love and spirituality, but I believe that at this moment more than ever there is a need to affirm our desire to live, and to do so we must love ourselves, those around us and the

How did you discover the passion for photography?
I've always been attracted to the camera, my father was a journalist. He also worked for NBC News from the late 1950s to the 1980s: he was one of the typical New York journalists. My father came back from Vietnam when I was still a child and had a Leica at home that I could not touch for any reason in the world. But I was terribly fascinated by it. And I secretly went to look at her, touch her, explore her ... Then later, when I turned 21, she gave me the camera. I didn't use it much. When I released my first album in 1989, I was 24 and I was definitely shy. Most of the time I was embarrassed in front of photographers. When I started taking the first official shots I loved madly going to the dark room with photographers and stealing their secrets. There I became interested in how the process behind the camera worked. I had the great opportunity to meet great photographers. By observing them I became aware of what photography was. Slowly I started shooting, seriously, about 14 years ago. And I exhibited my first photo book during an edition of Art Basel | Miami Beach. And from there this new adventure began.

Do you remember the first professional photo you took?
The first ones were those of the exhibition. They were photos of me photographing people, photographing me. I shot during the tour, on free days. I went out on the street to make reports and every time I went out fans and paparazzi began to photograph me. And that's why they didn't let me do what I went out for: photographing. There were a lot of people around me. I started photographing them while photographing me, just for fun. Jean-Baptiste Mondino saw this series of shots and said to me: "This is what you will shoot for your first exhibition". And in the end it was just like that.

What is the difference between staying in front of and behind the lens?
I prefer to stay behind. With my head I'm always behind the camera lens ... And in fact I break the boxes to the photographer saying: "Hey man, the light is not good, maybe you should change the angle ..." But in the end it is fun, the shooting becomes collaborative.

And how did you decide to work for the Dom Pérignon project?
I have a friend who is the former chef de cave with whom I started a relationship about fourteen years ago. I started to try Dom Pérignon at dinners, at tastings, in specialized shops and above all I started to get interested in the realization process. We always liked working together ... And we did it.

What did you try to express with the photos of “Assemblageˮ?
I love to photograph. I think it's fantastic to be able to tell the environment and people with one click. I like to bring people from different backgrounds, different disciplines, different ages together. In this case we took everything during a dinner at home, my daughter was also there ...

One of the most beautiful shots is the one in which you are in the background and there is Zoë ...
Oh sure! That was taken before the shooting, it is a fragment from behind the scenes. And yes, I love it too. I wanted to be very natural, the whole project revolves around the concepts of connection, communication, sharing. Only one of the shots had a precise set, the one in the kitchen, but for the simple fact that everyone had to be in the right place. For the rest, it was simply me who watched others interact, move, drink champagne ...

How proud are you of Zoë?
She is the most beautiful thing I have ever done. We are very, very close. The same kind of relationship my mother had with me (actress Roxie Rocker, who passed away in 1995, editor's note). She grew up with me, she saw the kind of life I had, she was always surrounded by artists. Now she has become much smarter than me and her mother (actress Lisa Bonet, editor's note), and today it is I who look to her as a guide.

Today you are a 360 ° artist. You compose, sing, act, take pictures, furniture designs, houses ... What is the creative area in which you feel most comfortable?
All. It's really just a matter of inspiration: I let myself be inspired by life, by the people I meet, by everything around me. Everything can be interesting if you are able to catch it. I try to be spontaneous in this, I let things come to me without looking for them. I learned to wait. This is the only way the best ideas are born.

But your heart is all for the music, so much so that this year you will be the protagonist of a particularly awaited global tour ...
I still feel the magic when I compose a piece, I'm never tired of doing it. I think my music has improved over the years, but the creative process has remained more or less the same. My mantra is: wait, be patient, let things come to you. I understand that I have to wait for the moment when the spark goes off. It doesn't matter where you are, who you are with. When you feel it you feel it.

How much has the world of music changed in recent years?
A lot ... But with my music I have always tried to convey positive messages, to unite people. I sing above all about love and spirituality, but I believe that at this moment more than ever there is a need to affirm our desire to live, and to do so we must love ourselves, those around us and the

Is there one of your songs that can match your photos?
It's difficult. It is difficult to find just one. In the end the fundamental message for me is that I love them all.

Which artist made you want to go on stage?
First The Jackson 5, after my first concert at the age of six in Union Square! My father brought me to hear them live and I was totally amazed. The groove, the melody, the tenderness, their truly impressive professionalism. The following year I went with my mother to visit James Brown at the Apollo Theater. That was another explosive experience!

Is there a historical period in which you would have liked to live?
I would have liked to have been 20 in the 1960s. I think I would have had a lot of fun experiencing everything that changed society at the time: music, art, politics ...

Your first album, "Let Love Rule", turned 30 in 2019. What do you feel looking back on your career and success?
That I'm a lucky man who hasn't noticed the passage of time. Back then, publishing a record was just huge! I never thought I'd last so long. Obviously that's what I wanted, but without being aware of it. Since then, everything has happened without any real strategy and has made me happy. Even if nothing is perfect. Today I'm not the same age, but it doesn't scare me, it's how life goes.

Today you express yourself ranging between different disciplines. How does your artistic approach change in relation to different areas?
In reality it does not change, it is always the same, I let myself be inspired by what is around me. Testing myself in many different areas helps me to navigate between different worlds. For example, if I have dedicated myself to music for months and months, design allows me to move on to something else, to take a break from music. Pause for me never means sitting down, real relaxation for me is creating.

How did your passion for design come about?
I started as a child, looking at my room, how things were made, the lights. When I released my first album in 1989 I was creating in my first apartment. People often left furniture to throw on the street, so I took them, I arranged them, I made them cute and I personalized them by making them mine. It all started like this. I have never studied design.

You have always been very cool in your career. You have worked with many stylists ...
Gianni Versace, when he was alive, made clothes for me. In fact, I always think about it when I come back to Italy. My first experience was in Milan with Gianni and Donatella Versace. It was Gianni who invented the fashion show mode in which the models parade and there is a famous performer to accompany them, singing. I remember it well, I think it was in New York in '91 or '92. It was really innovative, in fact the first time he and Donatella proposed it to me I said "Do you want me to do what?" ... I had never done it before. I had sung songs from my first and second album.

What is your relationship with fashion? How do you choose your clothes?
I choose clothes based on how I feel. I have many things in the closet, the most disparate. But I never think about how to put them, how to combine them. I wake up in the morning, and based on how I feel I decide what to put on. When someone helps me define an outfit for a particular occasion, then the next day I have already changed my mind because I don't feel like I felt the day before when I chose it. Everything I do for me is instinctive: music, photography, fashion, acting ...

What will be your next creative step?
Direct a movie. I like to show what I see through my eyes, and in my head. But I'd also like to draw ... I'm starting and it's something I've been thinking about for twenty years. I always told myself that one day I would paint. I love to explore. Not to show others that I do many things, but to live the experience and live what comes out of my expression. It may be beautiful, or horrible but at least I threw myself, I tried.

You celebrated 30 years of career and for you time seems never to have passed ... What is your secret?
I take care of myself. I have a decidedly healthy lifestyle, I eat naturally. But I grew up, educated from my life experiences. Educated by art, design and, above all, by creativity.

Photo Mark Seliger
Text Giampietro Baudo
Styling Giorgia Cantarini
Producer Coco Knudson
Local Producer Fred Jaqueneau
Stylist assistant Martina Squillace
Alice Teso collaborated
Location Paris and Senlis, France