Professional Luncheon,
Oliviero Toscani,
Award Winning Photographer and Art Director

The speech and Q & A will be in English.

"Is The Press Free?"

Oliviero Toscani is the internationally renowned creative force behind some of the world's most successful magazines, brands, corporate images, and advertising campaigns for Esprit, Valentino, Chanel, Jesus, Inter F.C., and Benetton, among others. His fashion photography still appears in the pages of Elle, Vogue, Uomo Vogue, GQ, Harper's Bazaar, Esquire, Stern etc.

From 1982 to 2000, Toscani built United Colors of Benetton into one of the world's most recognized brands, providing the company with its corporate image, identity and communication strategy. His controversial campaign touched upon major social issues: AIDS, homosexuality, hunger, juvenile violence and capital punishment. His photo collection of death row U.S. Inmates was barred in Japan. In 1990 he conceived, created and directed Colors, the world's first global magazine, which set the trend for editorial and communications projects worldwide. In 1993, Toscani founded Fabrica, an international center for modern communication research, and commissioned Japanese architect Tadao Ando to design it. Fabrica produced editorial projects, books, television programs and exhibitions for the United Nations, UNHCR, La Republica and MTV, as well as films which have won 4 jury prizes at Cannes and Venice.

Toscani's work has been exhibited in Venice, San Paolo, Milan, Lausanne, Mexico City, Helsinki, Rome and dozens other museums worldwide. He has won numerous awards, including four Lions d'Or at Cannes, the Unesco Grand Prix, the Grand Prix d'affichage (twice) and several Art Directors Club Awards.

After more than four decades as an innovator in the editorial, advertising, film and television worlds, Toscani is now focusing his drive and ability on discovering new languages for different media in the form of La Sterpaia, a research center. He lives in Tuscany, producing olive oil and breeding horses, while pursuing his research on how to protect freedom of the press from corporate pressure.

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Sandwich Plate: Smoked salmon, avocado, lettuce and cream cheese on campagne with pickles.
Hot Plate: Chicken cacciatore with egg noodles, green vegetables and seasonal salad.

Oliviero Toscani, Award Winning Photographer and Art Director