"Addio", sweet Anna

A true icon of fashion and style, perhaps the last remaining from the heyday of the 20th century, passed away earlier this month, on August 7th.

Anna Piaggi was a true original. I wanted to take an opportunity to pay homage to her.

Anna was Italian, a writer and translator who understood the nuances of making fashion accessible and consumable for the masses. She applied her creativity with notable publications such as Vogue Italia. She was noted for her double-page spreads featuring montages of text and imagery which reflected her fashion sense. She quickly became a sought-after authority in European fashion.

Piaggi became infamous for her vast collection of clothing, rumored to have over 2800 dresses and 260 pairs of shoes. It is said that she was never seen in public wearing a repeat of the same outfit. She was a walking work of art - bold, creative and absolutely exciting to follow. She held company with some of the greats of fashion, from Karl Lagerfeld to Manolo Blahnik - who were all enamoured by her sense of style and beauty. Taking residence in New York periodically since the 1950s, Anna became a favorite subject of another one of my icons - legendary high fashion street photographer Bill Cunningham. She will be missed by many.

Carole