# Your Cities

You know these cities. You've shot here every season. This is your internal map — the architecture, the light, the pavement, the energy that makes each one unmistakable.

**Your standard**: [The Impression](https://theimpression.com/street-style/) and [Vogue Street Style](https://www.vogue.com/fashion/street-style) — how Razzano, Katz Sinding, Jeng, and Phil Oh capture each city.

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## New York City

### Visual DNA
- **Architecture**: Glass & steel canyons, cast-iron SoHo facades, brownstone stoops, fire escapes
- **Street Texture**: Yellow cabs, steam from subway grates, bodega awnings, scaffolding, hot dog carts
- **Pavement**: Concrete sidewalks with metal cellar doors, crosswalk paint, puddles reflecting neon
- **Color Palette**: Grey concrete + yellow taxi + red brick + neon signage

### Key Neighborhoods for Street Style

| Neighborhood | Vibe | Best For |
|-------------|------|----------|
| **SoHo** (Spring St, Mercer St) | Cast-iron facades, cobblestone, luxury storefronts | Daytime classic, editorial clean |
| **West Village** (Bleecker, Perry St) | Brownstones, tree-lined, intimate scale | Golden hour, warm/romantic |
| **Meatpacking** (Gansevoort, 14th St) | Industrial-meets-luxury, High Line shadow | Blue hour, night, edgy |
| **Williamsburg** (Bedford Ave) | Industrial Brooklyn, murals, vintage signage | Alternative, Gen-Z energy |
| **Midtown** (5th Ave near 57th) | Glass towers, reflections, dense pedestrian flow | Power dressing, corporate luxury |

### Light Quality
- **Daytime**: Hard canyon light — dramatic shadows from tall buildings, light shafts between skyscrapers
- **Blue Hour**: Neon and LED signage glow. Yellow cab headlights. Steam rising from grates.
- **Night**: Sodium-vapor warm orange from streetlights mixed with cool blue from storefronts

### Seasonal Markers
- **Spring/Summer**: Sidewalk café tables, open hydrants, leafy ginkgo trees, sunglasses
- **Fall/Winter**: Steam from breath and grates, layered scarves, wet reflections on dark pavement, bare trees

### Photographer Reference
Tommy Ton (geometric compositions, clean lines), Adam Katz Sinding (dramatic light, urban grit), Thomas Razzano for [The Impression NYFW](https://theimpression.com/street-style/new-york-fashion-week/)

### Men's Street Style Notes
NYC menswear street style is bold and diverse — downtown creative types in SoHo, power tailoring on 5th Ave. Sneaker culture is front and center. The Detail shot often focuses on sneaker-pavement contact or oversized outerwear construction.

---

## London

### Visual DNA
- **Architecture**: Georgian terraces, red brick, Victorian wrought iron, brutalist concrete, glass Shard
- **Street Texture**: Black cabs, red phone boxes, Royal Mail postboxes, pub signage, flower markets
- **Pavement**: Wet flagstone, mosaic tile paths, Victorian drain covers
- **Color Palette**: Charcoal sky + red brick + British racing green + cream stucco

### Key Neighborhoods for Street Style

| Neighborhood | Vibe | Best For |
|-------------|------|----------|
| **Shoreditch** (Brick Lane, Redchurch St) | Street art, vintage shops, converted warehouses | Alternative, eclectic, youth |
| **Mayfair** (Mount St, Dover St) | Georgian terraces, luxury galleries, discreet wealth | Classic luxury, tailoring |
| **South Kensington** (Exhibition Rd) | White stucco terraces, museum mile, wrought iron | Timeless elegance |
| **King's Cross** (Coal Drops Yard) | Industrial Victorian + modern glass, canal-side | Architectural, modern |
| **Notting Hill** (Portobello Rd) | Pastel-painted Victorian houses, market stalls | Colorful, playful, editorial |

### Light Quality
- **Daytime**: Overcast diffused light (London's signature) — soft, even, flattering. Occasional sun breaks create drama.
- **Blue Hour**: Street lamps warm against blue-grey sky. Pub windows glow amber. Wet pavement mirrors everything.
- **Night**: Mixed warm pub light and cool modern LED. Puddle reflections. Fog/mist is common and adds atmosphere.

### Seasonal Markers
- **Spring/Summer**: Occasional sun feels precious, light rain possible any time, pub gardens, flowers on Georgian windowsills
- **Fall/Winter**: Grey overcast is constant, early darkness (4pm), rain-slicked streets, breath visible, darker palettes

### Photographer Reference
Phil Oh (warm candid moments), Scott Schuman / The Sartorialist (intimate, personal), Thomas Razzano for [The Impression LFW](https://theimpression.com/street-style/london-fashion-week/)

### Men's Street Style Notes
London menswear is the most eclectic of the four — Savile Row precision meets Shoreditch subculture. Expect mixing of streetwear with traditional tailoring. The Walking Approach shot benefits from London's narrow Georgian streets creating natural depth and framing.

### Photographer-Observed Composition Notes (from LFW S26 reference sets)

- **Columns and pillars** are everywhere in London — Georgian porticos, museum entrances, institutional buildings. Use them as frame-within-a-frame devices. The vertical mass of a white stone column creates a natural compositional anchor beside the model (see column framing examples in angle-direction.md).
- **Red double-decker buses** are the single strongest London city-ID object in a background. One red bus in the soft focus behind the model is all you need. Like a yellow cab for NYC.
- **Corrugated metal walls and industrial surfaces** (Shoreditch, King's Cross, warehouse districts) create clean, textured backdrops that let outfit colors do the work. A deliberate alternative to busy street backgrounds. Particularly effective for youthful, streetwear-adjacent looks.
- **Hard London sun** (when it breaks through) creates drama precisely because it's unexpected. Shoot monochromatic outfits (all-white, all-ivory) during these rare sun breaks — the contrast against dark cars and grey pavement is striking.
- **Wired earphones** and casual tech props carry Gen-Z London energy distinct from the phone-in-hand trick. The wire creates a leading line through the frame.
- **Wind off the Thames or through canyon streets** is common and useful — position the model so wind catches hair sideways for diagonal movement in an otherwise static composition.

---

## Milan

### Visual DNA
- **Architecture**: Neoclassical palazzi, Art Nouveau Liberty-style ironwork, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II glass ceiling, terracotta
- **Street Texture**: Vespas and Fiats, café terraces with marble tables, cobblestone, shuttered windows, hanging laundry
- **Pavement**: Grey marble cobblestone (sampietrini), worn travertine, mosaic café floors
- **Color Palette**: Warm ochre + terracotta + cream stone + dark green shutters + espresso brown

### Key Neighborhoods for Street Style

| Neighborhood | Vibe | Best For |
|-------------|------|----------|
| **Quadrilatero della Moda** (Via Monte Napoleone, Via della Spiga) | Luxury shopping district, palazzo facades | High fashion, luxury |
| **Brera** (Via Brera, Via Solferino) | Art galleries, cobblestone, bohemian-intellectual | Artistic, cultural, golden hour |
| **Navigli** (canal district) | Canal-side bars, artist studios, bridges, reflections | Blue hour, night, romantic |
| **Porta Nuova** (Corso Como) | Modern glass + old Milan, Bosco Verticale | Contemporary, architectural |
| **Isola** | Emerging creative district, murals, industrial | Youthful, avant-garde |

### Light Quality
- **Daytime**: Mediterranean warmth — golden, directional, strong shadows from narrow streets. Light bounces warm off ochre walls.
- **Blue Hour**: Warm tungsten from trattorie and boutiques against deep blue sky. Vespa headlights. Cobblestone glows.
- **Night**: Warm street lamps on stone. Gallery light spilling onto sidewalk. Intimate, amber-dominant.

### Seasonal Markers
- **Spring/Summer**: Long golden evenings, outdoor aperitivo, sunlight through plane trees, lightweight fabrics in motion
- **Fall/Winter**: Fog (la nebbia) is Milan's signature — soft, diffused, mysterious. Shorter days but still warm-toned light.

### Photographer Reference
Stefano Coletti (warm Italian light), Thomas Razzano and Adam Katz Sinding for [The Impression MFW](https://theimpression.com/street-style/milan-fashion-week/), Vogue Italia street style (editorial meets candid)

### Men's Street Style Notes
Milan men's street style is the sharpest in the world — impeccable tailoring, deliberate accessory choices (pocket squares, tie bars, monk-strap shoes). The Detail shot in Milan should obsess over the trouser break, cuff roll, or lapel width. Colors are restrained but fabric quality is visible. Italian sprezzatura (studied carelessness) is the energy — never try-hard, always effortless.

### Photographer-Observed Composition Notes (from MFW F25/S26 reference sets)

- **Hard Mediterranean sun creates dramatic shadow play.** In Milan's S/S seasons, strong directional sun is the default — not the exception. Position models near plain-colored walls (beige stucco, cream stone, warm concrete) to capture their OWN SHADOW as a secondary composition element. The shadow reveals the silhouette from a different angle, creating a dual-portrait effect (see shadow wall examples in angle-direction.md). This technique is specific to strong-sun cities (Milan S/S, Florence) and doesn't work in overcast London or silvery Paris.
- **Luxury European vehicles** (Mercedes, BMW, Maserati) parked on the street are Milan's city-ID objects — the equivalent of NYC yellow cabs or London red buses. A three-pointed star badge or luxury grille in the mid-ground instantly says "Milan" without needing architectural context. Common near show venues where black SUVs and sedans line the curb.
- **Narrow stone-faced side streets** (Brera backstreets, Navigli lanes, residential streets near venue areas) provide intimate framing with warm-toned aged surfaces — old wooden doors, iron window grilles, grey marble facades. The narrow width funnels the eye toward the subject and creates a sense of the outfit occupying its environment. A strong alternative to the wide Via Monte Napoleone default.
- **"Through-the-crowd" framing** works particularly well in Milan because the crowd is impeccably dressed. Dark-coated, tailored foreground figures create sophisticated, non-distracting frame-edge elements. The photographer positions themselves WITHIN the crowd and shoots through gaps between people — the subject is discovered, not isolated.
- **Suburban Milan streets** (near bus stops, wider boulevards, residential zones) have their own visual identity — broader, greyer, less ornate than palazzo-lined shopping streets but still unmistakably Milanese. They provide cleaner, less competitive backgrounds for complex outfits with heavy layering or bold patterns.
- **Photographer packs** at major show arrivals (Armani, Prada, Gucci) are the densest in the fashion week circuit. Multiple photographers visible simultaneously — cameras raised, flashes firing — is the strongest possible "major show arrival" signal. The density scales with the show's importance.
- **Milan overcast light (la nebbia)** is warmer than London overcast due to ochre and terracotta wall bounce. Fabrics that go flat under London grey (dark leather, navy wool) read as rich and dimensional under Milan's warm overcast. The suede and velvet textures common in Italian fashion respond particularly well.
- **Strong sun S/S sessions** create opportunities unique to Mediterranean cities: fabric translucency when backlit (lightweight cotton, linen, silk skirts reveal leg outlines), long directional shadows that add graphic interest, and warm bronze skin tones with defined facial modelling. Describe these in `--lighting` when shooting Milan S/S.
- **Lamppost/pole leaning** is a common and natural Milan pose — the wider boulevards and venue-adjacent sidewalks have frequent street furniture. The model leaning casually while checking their phone is the most relaxed full-body composition available.

---

## Paris

### Visual DNA
- **Architecture**: Haussmann buildings (cream stone, wrought-iron balconies, mansard roofs), Art Deco metro entrances, zinc rooftops
- **Street Texture**: Café terraces with rattan chairs, Morris columns (cylindrical ad pillars), boulangerie awnings, flower shops, green Wallace fountains
- **Pavement**: Grey cobblestone, wide boulevards, wet after rain (Paris rain = photographic gold)
- **Color Palette**: Cream Haussmann stone + zinc grey + French blue shutters + deep green + café au lait

### Key Neighborhoods for Street Style

| Neighborhood | Vibe | Best For |
|-------------|------|----------|
| **Le Marais** (Rue de Turenne, Place des Vosges) | Historic, gallery-lined, fashion boutiques, narrow streets | Classic fashion editorial, daytime |
| **Saint-Germain** (Rue de Seine, Boulevard Saint-Germain) | Intellectual Left Bank, bookshops, cafés | Sophisticated, literary elegance |
| **Palais Royal** (arcaded courtyard, Buren columns) | Geometric, architectural perfection | Minimal, graphic, editorial |
| **Montmartre** (Rue Lepic, Sacré-Cœur steps) | Bohemian, hilly, cobblestone, vine-covered walls | Romantic, dreamy, golden hour |
| **Tuileries** (garden exit to Rue de Rivoli) | Grand, open, Parisian symmetry | Fashion Week classic, wide shots |

### Light Quality
- **Daytime**: Soft, silvery, romantic — Paris light is famously gentle. Diffused through thin cloud cover. Cream stone bounces warm light upward.
- **Blue Hour**: The Seine reflects. Café terraces glow warm against blue sky. Haussmann facades become theatrical backdrops.
- **Night**: Warm bistro spill-light on wet cobblestone. Street lamps on Seine bridges. Eiffel Tower distant sparkle (only as a subtle background element, never the subject).

### Seasonal Markers
- **Spring/Summer**: Chestnut trees in bloom, long twilight, Seine-side strollers, open café terraces, light scarves
- **Fall/Winter**: Grey skies with breaks of silver light, fallen leaves on cobblestone, warm breath, layered wool coats, rain-wet streets reflecting everything

### Photographer Reference
Melodie Jeng (clean, bright, confident), Acielle / Style du Monde (Parisian ease, natural light), Thomas Razzano and Adam Katz Sinding for [The Impression PFW](https://theimpression.com/street-style/paris-fashion-week/)

### Men's Street Style Notes
Paris menswear has two modes: the avant-garde (Rick Owens, Comme des Garcons crowd in oversized/deconstructed pieces) and the classic (sharp blazers, loafers, artful scarves). The PFW men's shows produce the most fashion-forward men's street style. The Profile Detail shot in Paris benefits from narrow Le Marais doorways and warm-lit storefronts creating amber bokeh.

### Photographer-Observed Composition Notes (from PFW HC S26 reference sets)

- **Black-and-white striped bollards** line most Parisian show venues and are the strongest foreground framing device in Paris. They create graphic vertical rhythm in the lower frame — the Paris equivalent of NYC's car-hood technique, but cleaner and more geometric. Confirmed across multiple reference sets (Cases 6 & 7 in angle-direction.md, plus the Paris Black Leather supplementary set).
- **Wet cobblestone after rain** is reflective and doubles visual information — the model and surroundings mirror below. Paris rain is not a problem, it's photographic gold (the pavement color note above already hints at this, but operationally: keep shooting, use `--street_texture` to describe wet reflections, and `--time_of_day` at "daytime" or "mixed" depending on cloud cover).
- **Park and garden settings** near major venues (Tuileries, Palais de Tokyo gardens, Grand Palais area, Palais Royal gardens) provide muted green-grey-brown backdrops. These work particularly well for outfits with large-scale graphic elements (appliqués, bold embroidery, prints) — the neutral palette doesn't compete. Autumn leaves on wet ground are a powerful seasonal anchor.
- **Venue arrival compositions** — haute couture entrances have their own visual language: security in dark suits, black SUVs with tinted windows, dense formal crowds, photographer flashes, red velvet ropes or barriers. This is the highest-energy fashion week location and produces the most naturally dramatic backgrounds. The model doesn't need environmental imperfection here — the energy IS the imperfection.
- **The "crowd reaction" frame** works in Paris because HC crowds tend to be formally dressed in dark coats, creating a near-uniform backdrop. A statement outfit (bold color, large embellishment, all-white against all-dark-crowd) becomes the focal point through pure contrast rather than depth-of-field isolation.
- **Paris overcast light** is slightly warmer than London overcast — cream Haussmann stone bounces warm ambient upward. Dark fabrics (leather, wool) read as rich and dimensional under this light, not flat.

---

## Florence (Pitti Uomo)

### Visual DNA
- **Architecture**: Renaissance palazzi, warm stone facades, Florentine arches, terracotta rooftops, Ponte Vecchio, Fortezza da Basso (the Pitti Uomo venue)
- **Street Texture**: Vintage Vespas and Fiat 500s, artisan leather shops, wine bars with wooden shutters, stone bollards, market carts
- **Pavement**: Pietra serena (grey sandstone), terracotta tiles, wide piazzas with geometric stone patterns
- **Color Palette**: Warm terracotta + olive green + burnt sienna + cream stone + aged gold

### Key Neighborhoods for Street Style

| Neighborhood | Vibe | Best For |
|-------------|------|----------|
| **Fortezza da Basso** (exterior + surrounding streets) | The Pitti Uomo venue — where all the action is. Stone walls, military architecture, crowds of well-dressed men | The classic Pitti shot, group energy |
| **Santa Maria Novella** (Piazza, Via de' Tornabuoni) | Luxury shopping, Renaissance architecture, wide piazzas | Daytime classic, architectural framing |
| **Oltrarno** (Via Maggio, Piazza Santo Spirito) | Artisan workshops, bohemian, less tourist | Authentic, golden hour, intimate |
| **San Lorenzo** (Central Market area) | Market energy, leather stalls, crowded streets | Gritty texture, movement, candidness |
| **Ponte Vecchio / Lungarno** (Arno riverfront) | Bridge views, river reflections, warm stone | Blue hour, romantic, wide shots |

### Light Quality
- **Daytime**: Strong Tuscan sun — warm, golden, intense. Deep shadows in narrow streets. Light bounces hot off stone and terracotta. June Pitti sessions get 14+ hours of daylight.
- **Blue Hour**: Arno river reflects dusky sky. Warm light from enotecas and trattorias. Stone facades glow amber-pink.
- **Night**: Soft warm street lamps on stone. Less neon than other cities — Florence at night is intimate and amber-golden.

### Seasonal Markers
- **Pitti Uomo January (Fall/Winter)**: Cooler but mild by Italian standards. Layering is key — overcoats, scarves, textured wool. Shorter days but golden afternoon light.
- **Pitti Uomo June (Spring/Summer)**: Hot Tuscan summer. Linen suits, unlined blazers, loafers without socks. Long golden evenings ideal for blue hour shots.

### Photographer Reference
Adam Katz Sinding for [The Impression Pitti Uomo](https://theimpression.com/street-style/pitti-uomo/), the dedicated Pitti Peacocks aesthetic (deliberate, detail-obsessed, often shot in pairs or trios)

### Men's Street Style Notes (Pitti-Specific)
Pitti Uomo is the **mecca of men's street style** — it has its own distinct energy that differs from Paris or Milan menswear:

- **The Peacock Effect**: Men at Pitti WANT to be photographed. This is the ONE exception to the Candid Rule — at Pitti, models can be slightly more aware of the camera (looking just past the lens, a knowing half-smile) while still maintaining the "caught in the moment" energy. Never fully posed, but a **controlled candidness**.
- **Detail Obsession**: The Detail shot at Pitti should showcase the micro — cuff links, trouser break over monk-strap shoes, pocket square fold, watch on wrist, the texture of a linen lapel, a hand-rolled tie knot. These men dress with intention and every detail is deliberate.
- **Group Dynamic**: Pitti street style often features 2-3 men walking together, deep in conversation. The Walking Approach and Standing Full-Body shots can include companions — this is a social event, not solitary.
- **Texture Over Color**: Pitti men's palettes are often neutral (navy, grey, camel, olive, cream) but the TEXTURES are extraordinary — linen, seersucker, tweed, corduroy, suede, cashmere. The camera should feel the fabric.
- **The "Third Piece" Rule**: A well-dressed Pitti man always has a "third piece" — a scarf, a hat, a pocket square, unusual socks, an artisanal bag. The Detail shot should find this piece.
- **The New Generation (2024-2026)**: Pitti has evolved. The pure peacock in a three-piece suit with contrast pocket square is now ONE energy among several. The younger attendees bring relaxed tailoring, sneakers with blazers, V-neck knitwear over dress shirts, wide-leg denim, retro trainers. The energy is still intentional but less performative — studied casualness over maximum display. Your casting and styling should reflect this range: not every Pitti man is 45 in a double-breasted suit. A 23-year-old in a lambswool V-neck and acid-wash jeans is equally Pitti — just a different generation.
- **Two Pitti Energies**: Classic (tailored suits, accessory obsession, the "third piece" rule) and Contemporary (relaxed proportions, sneaker culture, knitwear, streetwear influence). Read the garment to decide which energy your subject carries. A structured blazer wants classic Pitti. A retro sneaker look wants contemporary Pitti. Both are real — neither is more authentic than the other.

---

## Universal City Rules

1. **No landmarks as subjects** — the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, the Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio should only appear as distant, incidental background elements if at all. The GARMENT is always the subject.
2. **Local vehicles matter** — NYC yellow cabs, London black cabs, Milan Vespas, Paris Smart cars, Florence vintage Fiats. They anchor the location subconsciously.
3. **Weather is authentic** — London is overcast, Milan has fog, Paris is silver-grey, NYC has sharp sun, Florence is golden-warm. Don't force sunshine where it doesn't belong.
4. **Pedestrian extras** — background people should be dressed appropriately for that city. Milanese extras are sharp; NYC extras are diverse; London extras are eclectic; Paris extras are effortlessly chic; Florence (Pitti) extras are immaculately tailored men.
5. **Men's vs Women's energy** — men's street style emphasizes structure, detail precision, and confident stride. Women's emphasizes movement, fabric flow, and accessory play. The Detail shot shifts focus: menswear = trouser break, cuff, lapel, shoe; womenswear = bag, jewelry, heel on pavement, fabric texture in motion.

### Fashion Week Calendar

This maps season to month — use it to determine weather, daylight hours, and seasonal markers when the user specifies a season.

| Fashion Week | Fall/Winter Shows | Spring/Summer Shows |
|--------------|-------------------|---------------------|
| **NYFW** | February | September |
| **LFW** | February | September |
| **MFW** | February–March | September |
| **PFW** | March | September–October |
| **PFW Haute Couture** | January (S/S Couture) | July (F/W Couture) |
| **Pitti Uomo** | January | June |

When the user says "F/W Milan," that means **February–March** — late winter, cold, layered outfits, shorter daylight. When they say "S/S Milan," that means **September** — warm, golden light, lighter fabrics. This affects your `--time_of_day`, `--season`, and `--lighting` choices.

