Sozzani’s Legacy
Franca Sozzani always believed in supporting young talents and her legacy will continue to forge new ones thanks to a donation to two Italian fashion institutes.
A collection of books belonging to the late Vogue Italia editor in chief, who died in 2016, has been donated to the Istituto Europeo di Design and Accademia Costume & Moda, located in Milan and Rome, respectively.
In particular, the libraries of the two schools will be enriched by 2,400 tomes on topics ranging from fashion design, the history of costume, architecture and jewelry to photography, painting, cinema, music and literature.
The donation was made by Sozzani’s son, photographer and filmmaker Francesco Carrozzini, and her niece, Sara Sozzani Maino, who is head of Vogue Talents and Vogue Italia deputy editor for special fashion projects.
In addition, IED will rename its consultation room dedicated to fashion after Franca Sozzani, who supported the institute’s scientific direction of the fashion department for more than 10 years. Accademia Costume & Moda’s library, which is open to the public, will mark the books with a special banner and feature them in a dedicated area dubbed “Fondo Franca Sozzani.”
“We’re so grateful to Francesco Carrozzini, Sara Sozzani Maino and the whole Sozzani family for having thought of the students of IED Moda as the recipients of part of the precious volumes that were part of Franca’s library, which is so expansive and diversified in the scope of artistic knowledge,” said Sara Azzone, director of IED Moda in Milan. “IED cultivated a privileged professional relationship with Franca Sozzani for years; to dedicate our consultation room to her will contribute to strengthen the already vivid memory of her in our institute, in addition to continue to support the education of IED talents, which Franca conducted for years.”
Accademia Costume & Moda’s vice president Andrea Lupo Lanzara remembered Sozzani’s visit to the school in 2014 and her “elegance, enthusiasm, energy, curiosity and generosity towards our [students] and their projects.”
“I remember so well her words about the vision each of us has to have and the determination to make that [vision] fulfilled. The Fondo Franca Sozzani adds a priceless value to our library and I believe that the fact that this [archive] is available to everybody now and forever is a wonderful gift by Francesco and Sara, whom we thank immensely,” added Lanzara. — SANDRA SALIBIAN