The best outfits and beauty looks from the first night of Sanremo 2023

Ready. Set. Go. The 73rd edition of the Sanremo Festival begins under the banner of rhetoric and Italianism with a salute to President Mattarella sitting in the audience and Gianni Morandi singing Inno di Mameli and continues with a monologue by Roberto Benigni on the Constitution. Then come the singers, the songs, the competition, the catchy choruses, the wry notes, the technical problems, and the many outfits. This year the general mood is decidedly gothic, with total black winning over everything, as shown by Anna Oxa in a banshee version and Elodie showing up on the Ariston stage as a charming black swan. There is also room for the motomami trend with Ariete and Marco Mengoni and glitzy glamour with California from Coma_Cose and the glittery jackets by Amadeus. The real star shining under the lights of Sanremo 2023 is Chiara Ferragni, the co-host of the evening. The first shot shows her back with the claim “Pensati libera” printed on her stole, part of a series of looks designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri for Dior that include glittering catsuits, nude dresses, and dramatic paniers. They are all meant to convey the same message as Chiara's monologue in the middle of the evening: to call on women to break out of the cage of patriarchy, free themselves from the judgment of others and reclaim their bodies and their lives. So this long Tuesday evening flies by, fast towards tomorrow's date. Although Blanco was booed by the audience for taking out his anger at the technical problems of his performance on the poor innocent roses and the unchanging stages of I Cugini di Campagna.

Here are the best outfits and beauty looks from the first night of Sanremo 2023.

Chiara Ferragni

Brand: Dior

Look: beautiful and radiant. Chiara debuts in the role of co-host with a new hairstyle, a lob with sculpted and well-structured waves by Pattibussa, intense make-up "inspired by a strong woman" by Manuele Mameli (who created it with Lancome products), and a series of tailored looks, designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri for Dior, it aims to "inspire all women to feel free to step out of the role imposed on them by society", to eliminate patriarchy and "to bring attention back to women's rights, their bodies and body design." She begins like a diva from the Golden Age of Hollywood in a black silk corolla dress complemented by opera gloves and a stole - a manifesto that reads “Pensati libera”; she continues with a flesh-colored tulle dress that depicts her naked body with trompe l'oeil embroidery; she moves on to a peplum dress on which are printed as if on a blank canvas, some of the criticisms that haters make of her on a daily basis. The final outfit is a jersey jumpsuit embroidered with rhinestones and overlaid with a tulle skirt inspired by the work of Jana Sterbak.

Anna Oxa

Look: She was one of the most anticipated names of this issue and everyone expected an eye-catching look, but Anna Oxa is an unpredictable chameleon who is hard to pin down to one style. And so, against all predictions, she takes the stage in an all-black, almost shamanic version. Balancing between a Yohji Yamamoto vibe, gothcore and witchcore, she opts for a voluminous dress paired with a duster and a pair of amphibians. The beauty is also banshee-style: very long, slightly tousled Scandinavian-blonde hair and no make-up, with eyes accentuated by a line of striking eyeliner and framed by thin eyebrows.

Gianmaria

Brand: MSGM

Look: He had said on the advice of Tiny Idols that he would go for a clean look, and he did. Gianmaria took to the stage to sing Mostro, wearing black loose-fitting trousers and a white shirt that was slightly open across the chest. Essential and elegant, even if the look has a slight Twilight vibe.

Marco Mengoni 

Brand: Versace

Look: It may look like an homage to Rkomi's look from last year, but the most likely references are Robert Mapplethorpe's photographs, Gianni Versace's 90s collections with their BDSM influences, and the Motomami trend. Mengoni, styled by Lorenzo Posocco, wears a shirt and trousers, both in shiny black leather, "loosened up" by a studded belt. On her feet, she wears a pair of square-toed boots. The racing driver look is completed by a brown complexion and a thick beard.

Mahmood & Blanco

Brand: Rick Owens e Dolce&Gabbana

Look: Mahmood opts for an all-black outfit, conceptual but not too much so, by Rick Owens, consisting of oversized trousers and a sheer jacket with peaked shoulders, under which a white tank top peeks out. The styling was by Susanna Ausoni. Blanco, who is increasingly being cast in the role of the teen star of the Italian music world, instead shines in his own light with his singing talent and Dolce&Gabbana's oversize t-shirt studded with silver micro-crystals. Another plus point is Tiny Idols' styling.

Ariete

Brand: Marni

Look: Ariete debuts at Sanremo 2023 with a polished look from Marni SS23: flaming red overjacket, white shirt, and black leather trousers. Although the styling by Lorenzo Posocco is interesting, it almost seems to hide the singer instead of emphasizing her coolness. As for beauty, Ariete opted for wet curls, a fluid effect that is also reflected in the Sephora team's make-up, which focuses on intense smokey eyes illuminated by small glitters and a generous veil of transparent gloss on the lips.

Coma_Cose 

Brand: Vivienne Westwood

Look: On the Ariston stage, they sing about a couple's crisis in L'addio and, as always, give an emotionally gripping performance. Unlike their debut in Sanremo, however, this time there are no matching outfits. California wears a long, bronze-colored, sequined dress worthy of a Hollywood red carpet, as does the bold make-up with warm, shimmering metallic eyeshadow spread over the entire eyelid and lipstick with a glossy effect. Fausto, on the other hand, opts for an oversized forest green suit. The styling is by Giorgia Cantarini.

Elodie

Brand: Valentino Haute Couture

Look: Elodie descends the theatre steps draped in a feathered caban from the Le Club Couture Valentino Haute Couture collection, concealing a semi-sheer catsuit that reaches down to a pair of opera gloves, with a bodysuit visible underneath. It's a beautiful black swan. The makeup by @mrdanielmakeup with products by Sephora, which emphasizes the allure of the siren eyes with particularly bold eyeliner, represents the same dark mood. The hairstyle, created by Andrea Soriga for Wella, is a low, sleek, and damp chignon. The effect is stunning.

Leo Gassman

Brand: Emporio Armani

Look:  the wild curls, the fascinating smile. Leo Gassman has all the right cards to reach the hearts of the fans. To present his new song Terzo Cuore, he chooses a timeless look on the advice of stylist Stefania Sciortino, a classic tailored suit by Emporio Armani paired with a white shirt and black tie. The details give it a modern touch: the palm trees on the shirt and the black-on-black trim on the jacket. Perhaps he could have dared to do more.

Mara Sattei 

Brand: Armani Privé

Look: Super chic and sophisticated thanks to styling by Simone Furlan. Mara Sattei shows off her first Sanremo appearance like a true diva with class, in a complete Armani look, from the black dress with minimal cut and abysmal neckline to the make-up made with Armani Beauty products. The complexion is luminous, while the eyelids are covered with a veil of washed denim with an iridescent effect. The hair, sleek long bob with center parting, completes the beauty.