Photographer behind Benetton’s shock ads Oliviero Toscani dies aged 82
As artistic director of Benetton, Olivieiro Toscani helped make it one of the world’s leading fashion chains with his controversial imagery
Oliviero Toscani, the man behind the shock advertising campaigns that helped make Italy’s United Colors of Benetton one of the world’s biggest clothing brands, has died at the age of 82, his family said.
Toscani was admitted to hospital on January 10 in Cecina, near his Tuscan country home, in a very serious condition. A source with knowledge of the matter said later that he had lost consciousness.
“It is with great sorrow that we announce the news that today, 13 January 2025, our beloved Oliviero has embarked on his next journey,” Toscani’s wife Kirsti and three children said..
The photographer had revealed in an interview in August with the Corriere della Sera newspaper that he was suffering from amyloidosis, a rare and incurable condition that leads to the build-up of amyloid proteins that affect the body’s vital organs.
Toscani said he had lost 40kg (88lb) in weight in one year and the newspaper published a picture of him looking sickly and emaciated.
Toscani, who was born in 1942, followed in his father’s footsteps by training as a photographer. He studied in Zurich and working for a number of fashion magazines, where he helped establish the careers of models including Monica Bellucci.
