Vogue Bambini closes: founder recounts its creation and impact

Gisella Borioli, founder of Vogue Bambini, recounts the magazine's creation in the 1980s under Condé Nast Italia's triumvirate of Flavio Lucchini, Sartori, and Fontanesi. At 25, Borioli was tasked with launching a children's fashion magazine, despite having no prior interest in the topic. She recruited young, inexperienced staff including a very young Franca Sozzani as assistant. Borioli shifted the focus from mere clothing to a broader perspective on childhood, psychology, education, play, art, and aesthetics, with contributions from experts and intellectuals. The magazine featured children photographed naturally, not as mannequins, by sensitive young photographers. Vogue Bambini helped small clothing brands and industries grow, boosted Pitti Bimbo as a creative platform, and supported working mothers in understanding their children. The magazine later evolved into Donna e Bambini under Edimoda (Rizzoli/Corriere della Sera/Lucchini/Borioli and later Rusconi/Lucchini/Borioli). Borioli laments the closure of a title that opened attention to an unknown world, noting that while fewer children are born today, the market for children's clothing, toys, furniture, and design has exploded, with brands like Kartell, Magis, and Qeeboo entering the playful space. The magazine's closure leaves a void, with only the internet remaining.