Franca Sozzani's Visionary Eye for Fashion Photography

Franca Sozzani, who died in 2016, had an intense relationship with photography. After studying classics and philology at Università Cattolica di Milano, she entered fashion at Vogue Bambino, then directed Lei from 1980. When Oliviero Toscani left Lei, Sozzani hired emerging talents like Peter Lindbergh, Paolo Roversi, Herb Ritts, Steven Meisel, and Max Vadukul between March and June 1980. In 1988 she became editor of Vogue Italia, where she gave photographers complete creative freedom. Her collaborations included Bruce Weber, whose nude male photography she championed. In 2005, Meisel's 'Makeover Madness' feature with Linda Evangelista critiqued cosmetic surgery and violence against women. Sozzani dedicated annual covers to global issues like environment, plastic surgery, Black models, and curvy women. Karl Lagerfeld credited her with discovering today's greatest photographers. Her son Francesco Carrozzini directed the documentary 'Franca: Chaos and Creation' about her life.