Oliviero Toscani, Benetton's shock photographer, has died at the age of 82

Fashion photographer Oliviero Toscani, known for his shocking ad campaigns for Italian clothing brand Benetton, has died at the age of 82, his family has confirmed.

The brand's former artistic director revealed less than a year ago that he had amyloidosis, a rare, incurable condition that affects the body's vital organs and nerves.

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

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

In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere del Sella last year, he said that he had unintentionally lost 40 kilograms of weight.

He added: “I don't know how much time I have left to live, but I'm not interested in living this way anyway.”

His work has drawn attention to social topics, such as the AIDS pandemic, racism, war, and the death penalty.

As a tribute to his work, Benetton released a photo shoot of the brand in 1989.

“In order to explain certain things, words simply aren't enough. You taught us that,” a company spokesperson said on Monday.

“Goodbye Oliverio. Keep dreaming.”

Toscani was born on February 28, 1942 in Milan, the son of a well-known Corriere photographer and studied at the Art School in Zurich.

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

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

But it was during his time as a director at Benetton, a position he held for 18 years, that he saw him gain international fame.

His use of models of all genders became the brand's calling card and led to the popularization of the slogan “United Colors of Benetton” – but his provocative images sparked controversy.

Images of the blood-stained clothes of a soldier killed in Bosnia appeared on Benetton billboards around the world.

Its graphic use of an image depicting David Kirby, a man dying of AIDS, also led to a boycott of the brand.

Three identical human hearts marked with black, white and yellow referenced racism in fashion, while another ad – showing a priest and a nun kissing – was eventually banned.

He parted ways with the brand in 2000 after disagreements over his latest campaign, which featured images of death row inmates, with the caption “Death row”.

He said that his campaigns, which touched on topics such as human rights, religion and racism, were aimed at raising awareness of certain issues.

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

“Traditional advertising says if you buy a certain product, you will become beautiful, sexually powerful and successful. All of this doesn't really exist,” he added.

In 2007, he photographed a French model Isabel Caro An anti-anorexia campaign launched by a fashion company has made headlines.

Her thin face and emaciated body, ravaged by an eating disorder, appeared on billboards and newspapers during Milan Fashion Week. The campaign coincided with growing concern about the use of very thin models on catwalks.

The photo, which was filmed for the fashion house Nolita, was banned in many countries, including Italy, but it sparked intense controversy on the Internet after it spread widely.

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

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