Provocative Photographer Oliviero Toscani Dies at 82

CECINA, Italy — Oliviero Toscani, the groundbreaking Italian photographer known for his provocative advertising campaigns for Benetton, died Monday at the age of 82. His family confirmed his death in a statement, revealing he had been battling amyloidosis, a rare and incurable condition affecting vital organs and nerves.

Toscani was admitted to a hospital in Cecina, near his Tuscan home, on Friday in serious condition. His wife, Kirsti, shared the news on Instagram, writing, “It is with great sorrow that we announce the news that today, 13 January 2025, our beloved Oliviero has embarked on his next journey.”

Born on Feb. 28, 1942, in Milan, Toscani was the son of a renowned Corriere della Sera photographer. He studied art in Zurich and went on to work for prestigious fashion magazines such as Vogue and GQ, helping launch the career of model Monica Bellucci. His lens captured cultural icons like Andy Warhol, John Lennon, and Federico Fellini.

However, Toscani achieved global recognition during his 18-year tenure as Benetton’s art director. His campaigns, which often featured models of diverse races, popularized the brand’s “United Colours of Benetton” slogan. Yet, his work frequently courted controversy, addressing themes like racism, war, and the AIDS pandemic.

One of his most debated campaigns featured David Kirby, a man dying of AIDS, which sparked a boycott of the brand. Another showed blood-stained clothes of a soldier killed in Bosnia. Toscani defended his work, telling Reuters in 2000, “I exploit clothing to raise social issues. Traditional advertising says if you buy a certain product, you will be beautiful, sexually powerful, successful. All that doesn’t really exist.”

In 2007, Toscani made headlines again with an anti-anorexia campaign for fashion label Nolita, featuring a gaunt model. The image, banned in several countries, ignited global debate about the use of excessively thin models in fashion.

Toscani’s relationship with Benetton ended in 2000 after a campaign featuring death row inmates drew widespread criticism. He briefly returned to the brand in 2017 but parted ways again in 2020 after downplaying a disaster that killed 43 people.

He is survived by his wife, Kirsti, and their three children, Rocco, Lola, and Ali. Benetton paid tribute to Toscani on Monday, releasing a photograph he took for the brand in 1989. “In order to explain certain things, words simply don’t suffice. You taught us that,” a spokesperson said. “Farewell Oliviero. Keep on dreaming.”