Oliviero Toscani

Born

1942-02-28

Died

2025-01-13

Birthplace

Milan, Lombardy, Italy

Biography

On the international scene, he’s known as the creative force behind the most famous and original marks in the world. Over the years, he has created corporate images and publicity campaigns for Esprit, Chanel, Robe di Kappa, Fiorucci, Prenatal, Jesus, Inter, Snai, Toyota, the Ministry of Work, the Ministry of Health, Artemide, Woolworth and others. His latest projects include collaborating with the Ministry for the Environment and the Ministry of Health, with the Calabria Regional Authority, the Umberto Veronesi Foundation and some campaigns of social interest and importance dedicated to road safety, violence against women and the plight of stray animals. As a fashion photographer, he’s worked and indeed still collaborates with publications including Elle, Vogue, GQ, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire, Stern, Liberation and many others in the world at large. From 1982 to 2000, he created the image, identity, communications strategy and online presence for United Colors of Benetton, transforming it into one of the best-known marks in the world. In 1990, he created and directed Colors, the first worldwide newspaper in history, and in 1993 he conceived and directed Fabrica, a centre of research and creativity in modern communication. From 1999 to 2000, he was creative director of the monthly Talk Miramax in New York directed by Tina Brown. Toscani was one of the founders of the Academy of Architecture in Mendrisio, has taught visual communication in various universities and has written various books on communication. After nearly five decades of editorial innovation, publicity, movies and TV, he’s now involved in creativity in communication applied to the various forms of media, and working with his studio produces editorial projects, books, TV shows and exhibitions. In 2007, Oliviero Toscani began Razza Umana (Human Race), a photography and video project on the various human morphologies and conditions, with the purpose of representing all of humanity’s expressions, physical, somatic, social and cultural characteristics, touching on some 100 Italian regions as well as Israel, Palestine, Japan, Namibia and Guatemala. For nearly 30 years, he’s been involved in New Italian Landscapes, a project opposing Italy’s degradation. His works have been shown at the Venice Biennale, in San Paolo in Brazil, at the Milan Triennale and in museums of modern and contemporary art throughout the world. He has been awarded numerous prizes among which four Golden Lions, the UNESCO Grand Prix, two Grand Prix d’Affichage and many awards from the Art Directors Club throughout the world. He’s also won the Saatchi & Saatchi creative hero prize. The Urbino Accademia di Belle Arti awarded him the Sogno di Piero prize and the Florence Accademia delle Belle Arti granted him the title of Honorary Academic. Oliviero Toscani is also an honorary member of the Comitato Leonardo and the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.