What I Want to Watch - FRANCA

A few weeks ago we were told about a documentary on Netflix called Franca: Chaos and Creation. I found the trailer online and knew I had to watch it but unfortunately I don’t currently have Netflix so I will have to wait until after Christmas to watch it. Instead I decided to do some research into her, her life and her work.

Franca Sozzani became the second editor-in-chief of Vogue Italia in 1988. And in 1994 she was appointed as editor-in-chief of Conde Nast Italia. As well as being an editor she was very interested in photography and she wrote some art books. She was always collaborating with other writers and artists on publications.

Franca was well known in the fashion world as someone who was very controversial, she tended to focus on topics that other fashion publications avoided all together. A few things that she looked at include domestic violence, kidnap, drug abuse etc.

In 2008 Franca decided to release an all black issue of Vogue Italia. It featured only black models and the articles were aimed towards black women. The reason they decided to do this issue was to show their anger at the lack of black models featured in fashion magazines ‘because they are unable to sell’. However instead of not selling, it became the HIGHEST SELLING issues of Vogue Italia. The magazine had to be reprinted to satisfy the demand! I think its so important to talk about controversial topics when you have a large platform because it makes people realise that they are not alone. In my opinion the Black Issue was absolutely genius and I can imagine how happy people of colour were to get their hands on it.

I will be trying to watch her documentary as soon as I can!

Hollie Rose x