One of the world’s most revered and talented fashion journalists and Italian Vogue’s Editor-In-Chief, Franca Sozzani, has passed away after a year-long illness. Famed for her impressive talents and dedication to fashion, Sozzani has been at the forefront of cultural progression, and was one of the masterminds that created the supermodel phenomenon of the 1990s with Steven Meisel. As the winner of the 2016 Swarovski Fashion Award for Positive Change, Sozzani’s legacy as someone who wanted to positively influence the world (she contributed to an incredible number of charitable causes too) is something that inspires and energises the fashion community, and the publishing world at large.

Never one to shy away from topics and issues in her magazine which other fashion publications avoided (including domestic violence, recovery and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill), Sozzani’s Italian Vogue, with issues including “The Black Issues” (featuring only models of colour), “Makeover” (dedicated to exploring plastic surgery) and “Rebranding Africa”, was at the forefront of innovative fashion publishing. Her unique and fascinating take on fashion lives on in the pages of Italian Vogue; her legacy will never be forgotten.