Considered one of the most prestigious fashion magazines in the world, Vogue Italia stands out as the least commercial of the international editions, often blurring the lines between fashion and art with its controversial and provocative content. Established in 1962 when Condé Nast publisher Si Newhouse acquired the Italian magazine Novità, the publication initially continued under the Novità name until November 1965, when it was rebranded as Vogue & Novità. Consuelo Crespi served as the editor-in-chief during this early phase until 1966. In 1966, Franco Sartori took the helm as editor-in-chief and oversaw the magazine’s transformation. Under his leadership, it became Vogue Italia, with the June 1966 issue marking the debut under the new title. Sartori remained in this role for 22 years, until 1988, revolutionizing the magazine’s aesthetic. He brought in some of the most influential photographers of the time, including Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Norman Parkinson, Bert Stern, and Helmut Newton. Notably, the first Italian photographers to work for Vogue Italia were Gianpaolo Barbieri and Gianni Penati. The early years of Vogue Italia were marked by financial struggles, with circulation dipping as low as 40,000 copies per month in the 1970s. However, the magazine’s profile rose significantly during the Made-in-Italy boom of the late 1970s, becoming the premier platform to showcase the burgeoning Italian fashion scene, which would soon dominate global trends. In July 1988, following Sartori’s death, Franca Sozzani took over as editor-in-chief. Under her direction, the magazine embraced a distinctive and artistic style, steadily growing its circulation. Sozzani was instrumental in fostering the careers of renowned photographers such as Bruce Weber, Peter Lindbergh, and Paolo Roversi, encouraging them to experiment and offering them complete creative freedom. Her tenure was marked by her fearlessness in addressing controversial issues like drug addiction and domestic violence, topics other fashion publications shied away from. In 2008, she made a bold statement with the publication of A Black Issue, which featured only Black models, a groundbreaking moment in the fashion industry. Sozzani continued to lead Vogue Italia until her passing in December 2016.