Italian photographer Oliviero Toscani, best known for his work on Benetton‘s provocative advertising campaigns in the 1980s and 1990s including one featuring an AIDS sufferer, died on Monday aged 82.
Oliviero Toscani – DIETER NAGL / AFP/Archives
Toscani, who spent two decades as art director for the fashion retailer, revealed in August he suffered from the incurable disease amyloidosis and had lost 40 kilogrammes.
“With great sadness we announce that today, January 13, 2025, our beloved Oliviero has embarked on his next journey,” his family said in a statement on Instagram, asking for privacy.
Toscani was known for using viscerally shocking images not only to sell products but also to draw attention to social themes from AIDS and racism to the death penalty or mafia killings.
Most controversial was Toscani’s use of a photograph of AIDS sufferer David Kirby on his deathbed surrounded by his family for a 1992 Benetton campaign during the peak of the health crisis in the United States.
The campaign sparked a backlash by AIDS activists and a boycott of Benetton, but Toscani stood by his work.
In a 2016 interview with a photography blog, he maintained that a company had a responsibility to “show its social intelligence and sensitivity to the society around it”.
Benetton on Monday paid tribute to his work.
“In order to explain certain things, words simply don’t suffice. You taught us that,” the firm said, adding: “Farewell Oliviero. Keep on dreaming.”
Backlash, censorship
Toscani’s work for Benetton — from 1982 to 2000 and again from 2017-2020 — was both applauded and reviled.
It included campaigns featuring a black woman breastfeeding a white child, a nun and priest kissing, a still-bloody newborn with umbilical cord attached, and an array of colourful condoms against a white background.
Beyond consumer backlashes and boycotts some of his “United Colors of Benetton” campaigns were censored in Italy and France.
Some of his other work was similarly controversial.
Toscani’s 2007 photograph for fashion brand Nolita of the nude and severely anorexic model Isabelle Caro — who later died of the disease — was timed to correspond with Milan Fashion Week.
It was shown on billboards with “No Anorexia” over the photo.
A 2012 calendar he did for a leather consortium in Florence depicted 12 penises, following another version using female genitalia.
“Photography is ethical engagement! I don’t give a damn about photographic aesthetics,” Toscani told the Corriere della Sera newspaper in August.
Asked which photo he would like to be remembered for, he told the paper: “For the entirety, for the commitment.”
“It is not an image that makes history, it is an ethical, aesthetic, political choice to make with your work,” he said.
Born February 28, 1942 in Milan, Toscani was the son of a respected Corriere photographer and attended art school in Zurich.
Soon he began his work in fashion photography, collaborating with top fashion names, including his eventual long association with Benetton.
The retailer broke ties with Toscani in 2020, however, after dismissive comments he made about the 2018 tragic bridge collapse in Genoa that killed 43 people.
The Benetton family was the main shareholder of the company that managed the bridge at the time of the disaster.
Zalando has announced Iamisigo, a Nigerian-founded brand, as winner of its Visionary Award 2025 “for its boundary-pushing exploration of artisanal craftsmanship and pioneering textile innovation”.
As well as the €50,000 prize, the label will present its collection on the runway at Copenhagen Fashion Week SS26 in August “with Zalando’s continued support through financial assistance for the show production, facilitating mentorship opportunities and tailored industry connections”.
The company said the award reflects its “commitment to supporting emerging designers who challenge conventions and inspire progress in the fashion industry”.
The brand blends heritage textiles with traditional craft techniques drawn from across Africa. It was founded by Bubu Ogisi and offers “contemporary designs with a bold, fresh perspective”.
At an exhibition at Copenhagen Fashion Week AW25 this week, the award finalists introduced their brands, presented their visions and ethos through a showcase of their hero pieces and a panel talk, hosted by Zalando.
We’re told the jury chose Iamisigo “for its dedication to blending ethical sourcing with a commitment to empowering local communities. The brand’s distinct voice, visionary and magical aesthetic challenge conventions, offering a new perspective on what it means to drive positive change in fashion; transcending gender norms, designing for spirits and energies”.
The jury also said that Bubu Ogisi “embodies the essence of a visionary in many ways, and that she is a rare creative talent working in this space today, with a brand whose output is both beautiful and miraculous”.
Deckers Outdoor on Thursday beat third-quarter sales estimates on robust holiday demand for its Hoka running shoes, but an in-line annual forecast caused the footwear maker’s shares to tumble 17% in extended trading.
Ugg
Hoka shoes with their oversized soles have been gaining market share from brands such as Nike in the sportswear category. The brand, which retails for up to $300 in the United States, have also enjoyed full-price sales.
This drove up the company’s third-quarter revenue by 17% to $1.83 billion, beating analysts’ average estimate of $1.73 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG. Deckers also raised its annual net sales forecast for a second time this year.
“The guidance looks pretty conservative and considering the beat, it’s bit of a negative read into the out quarter,” said Drake MacFarlane, analyst at MScience.
The popularity of the Hoka shoes and the success of the company’s Ugg boots and sandals has helped it post double-digit revenue growth for nearly seven quarters.
The company now expects annual net sales to increase about 15% to $4.9 billion, compared with its prior expectation of about 12% growth to $4.8 billion. Analysts estimated an increase of 14.9% to $4.93 billion.
Deckers expects annual earnings per share of $5.75 to $5.80, compared with its prior forecast of $5.15 to $5.25.
Amazon.com is increasing its advertising on billionaire Elon Musk’s social media platform X, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Reuters
The major shift comes after the e-commerce giant withdrew much of its advertising from the platform more than a year ago due to concerns over hate speech.
In 2023, Apple also pulled all of its advertising from X and has recently been in discussions about testing ads on the platform, the report said.
Several ad agencies, tech and media companies had also suspended advertising on X following Musk’s endorsement of an antisemitic post that falsely accused members of the Jewish community of inciting hatred against white people.
Monthly U.S. ad revenue at social media platform X has declined by at least 55% year-over-year each month since Musk bought the company, formerly known as Twitter, in October 2022. He had acknowledged that an extended boycott by advertisers could bankrupt X.
Musk has become one of the most influential figures following President Donald Trump‘s re-election. He now leads the Department of Government Efficiency, which aims to cut $2 trillion in government spending.
Entertainment8 years ago