Oliviero Toscani, trailblazing Benetton photographer, dead at 82
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(Credits: Eirik Solheim)
The fashion photography icon Oliviero Toscani has passed away at the age of 82. Toscani was best known for his shocking advertising campaigns for the Italian clothing brand Benetton.
Last year, the brand’s former art director revealed that the photographer had been diagnosed with amyloidosis. It is a rare, incurable condition which affects all of the body’s vital organs and nerves. Toscani’s family confirmed that he passed away on January 13th, 2025.
His wife, Kirsti, took to social media to share the news. “It is with great sorrow that we announce that today, 13 January 2025, our beloved Oliviero has embarked on his next journey,” she wrote.
Toscani was admitted to hospital on January 10th in Cecina, near his country home in Tuscany. He had been in poor health for some time now, as during an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera last year, he admitted that he had unintentionally lost 40 kilograms in weight.
“I don’t know how long I have left to live,” he said, “But I’m not interested in living like this anyway.”
Toscani made a name for himself working with the fashion house Benetton. His advertising campaigns showcased the brand and touched upon various themes, including racism, war, the death penalty, and the Aids pandemic.
“In order to explain certain things, words simply don’t suffice,” wrote Benetton in a tribute dedicated to Toscani, “You taught us that […] Farewell Oliviero. Keep on dreaming.” They shared their tribute under a photograph that Toscani had taken in 1989.
“I exploit clothing to raise social issues,” said Toscani when discussing whether some of his work that touched upon serious social issues had gone too far, “Traditional advertising says if you buy a certain product, you will be beautiful, sexually powerful, successful. All that doesn’t really exist.”
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