Legendary Fashion Photographer Gian Paolo Barbieri Dies at 89

Mirella Petteni in Valentino, Roma 1967 (left) and Audrey Hepburn in Valentino, Roma 1969 (right)

Gian Paolo Barbieri, who was considered one of Italy’s greatest fashion photographers, has died at the age of 89.

Barbieri, who was the fashion photographer behind the first Vogue Italia cover, has died after fighting a long illness.

Monica Bellucci in D&G Milano 2000

The photographer’s namesake foundation Fondazione Gian Paolo Barbieri confirmed his death.

Through his lens, Barbieri captured not only the elegance and allure of his models but also the soul of Italian fashion, elevating it to an art form.

Lilly Bistrattin in Pomellato, Milano 1971

Mariolina Della Gatta in Coppola&Toppo,

Naomi Campbell in Yves Saint Laurent, Parigi
1988

Best known for iconic advertising campaigns for Valentino, Armani, and Dolce & Gabbana, Barbieri was also a regular photographer for Vogue Italia, Vogue America, Vogue Paris, and Vogue Germany. During his career, he shot portraits of stars such as Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Naomi Campbell, and Monica Bellucci.

One of his most iconic images is a black-and-white photo of Italian actress Bellucci smoking a cigarette in a sheer Dolce & Gabbana dress.

Born in Milan, Italy in 1935 to a family of textile wholesalers, it was in his father’s warehouse that Barbieri started to become accustomed to fashion.

Ingmari Lamy in Walter Albini, Milano 1975

Ivana Bastianello in Coppola e Toppo, Milano 1968

Jill Kennington in Missoni, Porto Sudan 1974

He was influenced by cinema at an early age and was a self-taught photographer. Barbieri began shooting models in Rome in the 1960s, part of the social scene that inspired Federico Fellini’s 1960 film La Dolce Vita. His first professional job was an apprenticeship under Harper’s Bazaar photographer Tom Kublin.

In 1963, Barbieri had his images published in the Italian fashion magazine Novità which became Vogue Italia two years later. Barbieri also shot for the American and French editions of Vogue.

Gian Paolo Barbieri in Milan in 1967

His mastery of light and ability to blend art and cinema in his images redefined fashion photography.

According to an obituary in Hunger Magazine, part of Barbieri’s groundbreaking legacy in fashion photography was “the notion that you can make a name for yourself as a creative without formal training for one. Equally, the idea that you don’t need all the gear to have an idea when it comes to photography.”

For example, during his time working at Harper’s Bazaar, Barbieri would experiment with lighting in his basement by popping light bulbs into the pipes from his stove.

In recent years, through his foundation, Barbieri devoted himself to promoting photographic culture, supporting young talents, and preserving the value of photography as both testimony and artistic expression.

“The Gian Paolo Barbieri Foundation will continue to carry forward his mission, honoring the memory and work of an artist who immortalized the essence of his subjects,” the foundation says in a statement. “Goodbye Gian Paolo. Your art will continue to inspire the world.”

 
Image credits: All photos courtesy of Fondazione Gian Paolo Barbieri.