Giuseppe Santamaria originally studied Advertising and Graphic Design back in his home town of Toronto, Canada. A summer internship at V Magazine in New York City opened his eyes to the world of photography and fashion magazines. ‘I eventually, unexpectedly found my way to Sydney, where I landed a job as a junior graphic designer at Russh Magazine, giving me the opportunity to work with some really amazing photographers,’ Giuseppe recalls.
Inspired by the photographers he was working with, as well as the famous photography of Ernst Haas, Saul Leiter and Bill Cunningham, in 2010, Giuseppe decided to pick up a camera and start taking photos. ‘Street style photography was just beginning to boom at the time, so I started a Tumblr that focused on men’s street style on the streets of Sydney,’ Giuseppe explains. He called his blog Men In This Town.
After only a year of shooting, Giuseppe was invited by Tumblr to New York City to help them cover New York Fashion Week. ‘It was an incredible opportunity to push my photography to the next level and gain exposure through the platform,’ he says.
Three years in, Giuseppe found himself in demand for photography jobs and branded blog content, and in 2013 he decided to take a leap, leave his full-time job and start a small creative studio, called MITT Work. He hasn’t looked back!
In 2015, Giuseppe founded the print edition of Men In This Town, a small format, beautifully designed magazine known as MITT.
‘The magazine offers different sections that I don’t think could be replicated online,’ Giuseppe explains. ‘The digest is divided in three sections: Find, which focuses on interesting goods and businesses being made around the world. Meet, which delves into the lives of three men based in various cities around the world. And Observe, which is place for contributors to share their experiences or thoughts on masculinity and what it means to be a man in the world we live in today.’
Interestingly, the magazine has a surprisingly well-balanced readership, appealing equally to both men and women. ‘Anyone can relate to the stories being told, regardless of their gender,’ Guiseppe points out. ‘The magazine is about men, not necessarily made just for men.’
Working from a small studio at the rear of Fine Fellow’s retail store, Giuseppe connects with contributors from Australia and overseas to produce each MITT issue. Having a business partner for the retail side of things (jeweller Clara Ho of Burton Metal Depository) allows Giuseppe the freedom to continue to travel, shoot and remain inspired. ‘Having a partner in this business gives us both an opportunity to still trave,l’ Giuseppe says. ‘I can continue to capture the streets around the world, and meet men with a story to tell.’
