Oliviero Toscani, Benetton’s shock photographer, has died aged 82

Fashion photographer Oliviero Toscani, known for his shocking advertising campaigns for Italian clothing brand Benetton, has died aged 82, his family has confirmed.

The brand’s former art director revealed at least a year ago that he had amyloidosis, a rare incurable disease that affects the body’s vital organs and nerves.

“It is with great sadness that we share the news that today, January 13, 2025, our beloved Oliviero has embarked on his next journey,” Toscani’s wife Kirsty said in an Instagram post.

Toscani was admitted to hospital on Friday in Cecina, near his home in Tuscany, in serious condition.

In an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera last year, he said he had unintentionally lost 40 kg (88 pounds).

“I don’t know how long I have to live, but I’m not interested in living like this anyway,” he added.

His work drew attention to social issues such as the AIDS pandemic, racism, war and the death penalty.

Paying tribute to his work, Benetton released a photo he took for the brand in 1989.

“To explain some things, words just aren’t enough. You taught us that,” a spokesman said Monday.

“Goodbye Oliviero. Keep dreaming.”

Born on February 28, 1942. in Milan, Toscani is the son of a famous Corriere photographer and attended art school in Zurich.

Throughout his career, he worked for leading fashion magazines including Vogue and GQ and helped launch the career of model Monica Bellucci.

He photographed cultural icons such as Andy Warhol, John Lennon and Federico Fellini.

But it was during his tenure as a director at Benetton, a position he held for 18 years, that he was able to achieve worldwide recognition.

His use of models of all races became the label’s calling card and popularized the “United Colors of Benetton” logo – but his provocative photos sparked controversy.

Images of the bloodied clothes of a soldier killed in Bosnia were displayed on Benetton billboards around the world.

Its graphic use of a photo depicting David Kirby, a man dying of AIDS, also prompted a boycott of the brand.

Three identical human hearts in black, white and yellow allude to racism in fashion, while another of his ads – featuring a priest and nun kissing – was eventually banned.

He parted ways with the brand in 2000. following controversy surrounding his latest campaign, which featured images of death row inmates, captioned “death row”.

He said his campaigns, which touch on topics such as human rights, religion and racism, are designed to raise awareness of certain issues.

“I use clothing to raise social issues,” Toscani told Reuters in an interview at the time, as debate erupted over whether the campaign had gone too far.

“Traditional advertising says that if you buy a certain product, you will be beautiful, sexually powerful, successful. All of that doesn’t really exist,” he said.

In 2007 his photo of a French model Isabel Caro for a fashion label’s anti-anorexia campaign made headlines.

Her emaciated face and emaciated body, ravaged by an eating disorder, were featured on billboards and in newspapers during Milan Fashion Week. The campaign coincided with growing concerns about the use of too-skinny models on the catwalk.

The image, shot for Nolita fashion house, was banned in several countries, including Italy, but provoked fierce debate online after it went viral.

Toscani resumed working for Benetton in 2017, but three years later the group severed ties with him after he downplayed the importance of The Morandi Bridge disaster that killed 43 people.

He is survived by his wife and three children, Rocco, Lola and Ali.