Fashion Quarterly | Legendary Italian Vogue editor Franca Sozzani dies, aged 66

Franca Sozzani, the longtime editor-in-chief of Vogue Italia, has passed away after a year-long illness.

Franca held the position of Vogue editor for nearly three decades, appointed to the role in 1988 (the same year Anna Wintour took the reins at US Vogue).

Her boundary-breaking approach to journalism saw her challenge fashion’s status quo time and time again. Her ‘Black Issue’ in 2008 sold out in the UK and US within 72 hours, prompting an additional 60,000 copies to be printed. She also caused controversy in 2005, with an editorial shoot based on women having plastic surgery. A more recent shoot in 2014 depecting girls running from knife-wielding men was prompted by the rise of domestic violence in Italy.

“Fashion isn’t really about clothes,” she said. “It’s about life.”

Tributes have been flowing in from the fashion industry and beyond, with Anna Wintour (pictured above, with Franca earlier this month) publishing a touching and very personal account of her friendship with Franca on the Vogue.com website.

“Franca and I began our careers as editors in chief at around the same time, but that didn’t automatically admit us to some exclusive club where all Vogue editors are BFFs; in fact, I think for the first few years we just circled each other, quietly,” she writes.

“Gradually, however, show by show and season by season, Franca and I found ourselves falling into a friendship that I am so happy and honored to say sustained itself for 30 years. That’s one thing that Franca taught me about friendship: Sometimes, you really have to earn it.”

FrancaSozzani with son Francesco Carrozzini, at the Fashion Awards in London earlier this month.

“Franca was one of those people who really was legendary,” British Vogue editor-in-chief Alexandra Shulman said. “Powerful, beautiful, intelligent and creatively adventurous, she was the perfect archetype of a Vogue editor and will be very much missed by those who have worked with her and admired her for many years.”

Meanwhile, Kanye West also paid his respects, writing on Twitter: “Franca Sozzani was always so nice and sincere. You will be deeply missed.” He accompanied the tweet with a black and white portrait photo of Sozzani.