A voice and a vision

For more than 50 years she has shaped the art and fashion industries, becoming one of the most influential voices in Italy and internationally. Carla Sozzani was born in Mantua in 1947, and while studying at Bocconi University she started her journalism career. In 1979, she became Editor-in-Chief for Vogue Italia’s special issues, and then she was chosen to launch and edit the Italian edition of Elle magazine. But in 1990, she followed another passion and opened an art gallery in a garage in Milan. That empty space soon became the world's first concept store. The gallery would host exhibitions of world famous photographers including Annie Leibovitz, David LaChapelle and Steven Meisel. Then a bookstore, a fashion and design store and a café were added, and the venue transformed itself into a slow shopping paradise.