Franca Sozzani (born January 20, 1950) is an Italian journalist and the editor-in-chief of Vogue Italia since 1988. She is considered to be one of the five most influential people in the fashion industry woldwide.
CAREER.
Sozzani grew up in Mantua, a small city in northern Italy. After completing a degree in philosophy and Germanic language and literature, she married at the age of 20, only to leave her husband after three months.She started her career at Vogue Bambini in 1976 and directed legendary publications LEI since 1980 and PER LUI since 1982 before heading up the Italian edition of VOGUE in 1988. She was appointed editor-in-chief of Condé Nast Italia in 1994.
In the 90's, Sozzani helped create the phenomenon of the supermodel with one of her closest long-term collaborators, Steven Meisel, and she has championed a group of photographers such as Bruce Weber, Peter Lindbergh, and Paolo Roversi.
Memorable issues of her magazine include "The Black Issue" (an entire issue devoted to celebrate black women's beauty), "Makeover" (dedicated to the exploding phenomenon of plastic surgery) and most recently L'Uomo Vogue "Re-branding Africa", for which she was awarded many different international awards.
In February 2011 she launched Vogue Curvy, an arm of vogue staffed by plus-size bloggers who offer fashion tips for the full-figured.
Sozzani collaborated with artist Maurizio Cattelan and repetitively with Vanessa Beecroft. She also curated several exhibits and retrospectives, including: 30 Years of Italian Vogue, Mario Testino, Bruce Weber (Vietnam Story and My Own Story in Vogue), Peter Lindbergh (Women), Francesco Scavullo and Portraits of Elegance (Milan Triennale).
She is a pioneer member of CHILD PRIORITY Рa non profit organization created by Cond̩ Nast to offer concrete study and work opportunities for those who have none, despite being talented and artistically gifted.
BOOKS.
Sozzani is the author of several books about photography, fashion, art and design, including: 30 Years of Italian Vogue (1994), Visitors (20 Museums for the Florence Biennale of Fashion and Art; 1996), A Noir (an exploration of the colour Black between fashion and art, published by Assouline, 1998), Style in Progress (30 years of L’Uomo Vogue, 1998), Valentino’s Red Book (2000) and Artists At Work (an itinerary among the most important British artists of the time, published by Assouline, 2003).
RECOGNITION.
In 2012 Sozzani was knighted by French president Nicolas Sarkozy with the Legion d'honneur and became a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations.
She was also awarded several prizes for her contribution to art and culture including: La Lupa (from the City of Rome, for rending Italian fashion known throughout the world), the Premiolino, the Ambrogino d'oro (for making the city of Milan more cosmopolitan and famous around the world) and the Montblanc de La Culture (Art Patronage Award 2007). She received the American Award of the Italy-USA Foundation in 2012.
FAMILY.
Franca Sozzani has one son, Francesco Carrozzini (born 1982), a photographer and director. Her sister, Carla Sozzani, is the owner of 10 Corso Como, a Milan photographic gallery and store carrying hard to find imports and luxury goods.
Keep it posted here for more updates on Iconic pioneers in the Fashion Industry World-wide....XOXO with luv D@fy.....Chao!!
.jpg)
