Legendary Photographer Oliviero Toscani: A Bold Visionary Passes Away at 82

Photographer Oliviero Toscani passed away on Monday at a hospital in Cecina, Tuscany. He was 82 years old. Two years prior, he disclosed that he was battling amyloidosis.

Toscani was born in Milan on February 28, 1942. Over several decades, he collaborated with magazines like Elle, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Esquire, and with fashion houses such as Missoni, Valentino, Chanel, and Fiorucci. However, his career is most profoundly linked to his enduring association with United Colors of Benetton during the 1980s and 1990s, which produced iconic advertising campaigns. He was a trailblazer in addressing critical issues including capital punishment, AIDS, racism, and LGBTQ rights.

On Monday, the Benetton company shared a photograph accompanied by a statement: “To express certain sentiments, words are simply inadequate. You taught us this truth. Thus, we wish to honor you with an image you captured for us many years ago, back in 1989. Farewell, Oliviero. Continue dreaming.”

It is difficult to forget Toscani’s bold and provocative visuals for Benetton, including the passionate kiss shared between a priest and a nun, a black horse mating with a white one, or the startling image used to highlight anorexia featuring French model Isabelle Caro for a Nolita campaign.

Throughout his career, Toscani collaborated with notable artists who became both friends and subjects of his photographic works, including Mick Jagger, Lou Reed, Carmelo Bene, and Federico Fellini.

The memorable phrase “Chi mi ama, mi segua [Those who love me, follow me]” displayed on the backside of model Donna Jordan in HotPants during the Jesus Jeans campaign is unforgettable, as is his portrayal of an African boy with mismatched eyes, which inspired David Bowie for his track “Black Tie, White Noise.”

Over time, numerous Benetton advertisements encountered bans in various nations and publications.

“Oliviero was a rock star in photography,” remarked British photographer and filmmaker Rankin on Monday. “When I was beginning my career, his work and concepts were like cultural detonators. He held up a mirror to society and called for transformation. He transformed controversy into artistry and made brands embody larger ideals. Despite that audacity, he retained his sense of humor and humanity.
Employing advertising to confront societal issues felt groundbreaking at that time, earning him the status of a hero for many. An iconoclast, he was also full of vigor, life, and optimism. He could challenge you while inviting laughter at your own situations. Long live Toscani.” 

With Benetton, Toscani inaugurated Colors magazine in 1991 and additionally established Fabrica, the company’s think tank, in 1994.

Marketing and communications consultant Paolo Landi, who worked alongside Toscani for many years as the advertising director for Benetton and director of Fabrica, reflected on Toscani as “a pioneer in both advertising and culture, the first to persuade a global entity like Benetton to channel its marketing funds into social causes, including AIDS awareness, anti-war efforts, [condemnations of] racism and the death penalty. His influence has been profound and singular, with a global perspective that modernized corporate ethos.”

When Luciano Benetton returned to lead the family business in 2017 after having departed in 2012, he brought Toscani back on board after 17 years. The photographer’s inaugural campaign under this new direction featured a primary school class comprising a diverse group of children.

Nevertheless, in 2020 Benetton unexpectedly terminated Toscani following remarks he made concerning the disastrous collapse of the Morandi bridge in 2018. Toscani had previously defended the Benettons during an interview with daily Corriere della Sera, denouncing a vicious narrative against them. The reputation and enterprise of the Benetton family suffered a blow after the bridge’s collapse. Allegations suggest that one of the Benettons’ companies was connected to the August 2018 disaster of Genoa’s Morandi bridge, resulting in 43 fatalities, hundreds of evacuees, and significant structural damage.

In 2017, during a solo exhibition titled “Oliviero Toscani. Più di 50 anni di magnifici fallimenti [More than 50 years of magnificent failures]” at Whitelight Art Gallery in Milan, a portion of the display was dedicated to the project “Razza Umana [Human Race],” initiated in 2007: Toscani captured 40 portraits, facilitating an eye-to-camera dialogue, also providing prints with his signature.

“The image narrates a tale, and unveils aspects that remain hidden about these individuals,” Toscani commented at that time. “My objective is to explore the unique narratives of individuals. Photographs featuring supermodels are valued for their emptiness, so flawlessly crafted. The true aesthetic lies in mediocrity.”