Carla Sozzani Art, Life, Fashion

Louise Baring's captivating text is based on interviews with Carla Sozzani, and each chapter covers a foundational aspect of Sozzani's inspirational life and career. Beginning with her bourgeois childhood in Italy, the text takes us through her early love of fashion and passion for travel; her trajectory as a magazine editor, including working on special issues for Vogue Italia (her sister Franca Sozzani would edit the magazine for 28 years) and launching the Italian edition of Elle; embracing unmarried motherhood in conservative Milan; founding her own publishing company as well as a gallery that has staged hundreds of exhibitions, including of her own extensive photography collection; launching her own fashion label; helping to propel fashion designers Romeo Gigli and Azzedine Alaïa to worldwide fame; and creating—in collaboration with her long-term partner, artist Kris Ruhs—the world's first concept store, 10 Corso Como, later rolled out in Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, Beijing, and New York. Ever restless and in search of new ways to share her vision, the interdisciplinary Sozzani continues to tread her own path: a true trailblazer.

Interspersed with images that illustrate each chapter are pull quotes in Sozzani's own words. Complete with guest appearances by a veritable who’s who of the fashion, art, and design worlds—photographers Steven Meisel, Helmut Newton, Sarah Moon, and Bruce Weber; fashion designers Yohji Yamamoto, Zoran, and Rei Kawakubo; and industrial designers Marc Newson and Tom Dixon, to name but a few—Carla Sozzani offers a fascinating look at the remarkable life and work of a visionary icon.