Costume designer Piero Tosi dies, remembered for iconic film looks

Costume designer Piero Tosi died in Rome in August 2019. His ashes were taken to Florence to be interred with Franco Zeffirelli, his close friend and collaborator. Tosi was born in Sesto Fiorentino in 1927 and studied at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome, where he later taught. He won an Honorary Oscar in 2013. Known for his philological approach to costume design, he created iconic looks for films such as Luchino Visconti's 'Death in Venice' (1971), 'The Leopard' (1963), 'Ludwig' (1973), and 'The Damned' (1969), as well as Pier Paolo Pasolini's 'Medea' (1969) and Liliana Cavani's 'The Night Porter' (1974). He worked with directors including Bolognini, De Sica, and Zeffirelli, but never with Federico Fellini. His collaborators included Gabriella Pescucci, Maurizio Millenotti, Dino Trappetti, Sartoria Tirelli, and Quirino Conti. Milena Canonero dedicated her Honorary Golden Bear at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival to Tosi, calling him her master. Tosi's work is often contrasted with that of Danilo Donati, another costume genius known for experimentation. Tosi's legacy lives on through his students and his films.