Julianne Moore in Valentino arrives at the inaugural Franca Sozzani Award in Venice
The sky was thick with black clouds the night of the inaugural Franca Sozzani award at the Venice Film Festival. One Instagrammer commented that it was a testament to Sozzani’s fiesty character. Regardless of the weather, fashion’s VIP got on with it–as Sozzani would have wanted and boarded boats and gondolas to arrive at the Lido. Sozzani’s son, Francesco Carrozzini, photographer and director of Franca, Chaos and Creation, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival one year ago, arrived with fiancé, Bee Shaffer, the daughter of American Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, who was dressed in a lace-embellished white gown. Also arriving at the event was Sozzani’s sister, Carla Sozzani, founder of the legendary 10 Corso Como concept store. The elder sister wore Azzedine Alaïa and her trademark skinny velvet ribbon in her hair.
Francesco Carrozzini and Bee Shaffer arrive at the inaugural Franca Sozzani Award in Venice.
Carla Sozzani arrives at the inaugural Franca Sozzani Award in Venice
Other guests included Donatella Versace in a strapless ostrich-feather Atelier Versace couture gown, on the arm of Valentino‘s designer Pierpaolo Piccioli.
Donatella Versace and Pierpaolo Piccioli arrive at the inaugural Franca Sozzani award in Venice
The award was given to actress Julianne Moore by her Tom Ford-directed A Single Man colleague, Colin Firth. The decision to award Moore was due to “her same strength and determination of Franca Sozzani” and that she “has combined excellence in arts with a strong civil and social commitment.” The award is a blue globe designed by artist Jeff Koons.
Carlozzini remarked that, “With friends, we wanted to honor her legacy, her creative freedom, and endless curiosity,” he said of the award launched with Carla Sozzani, her daughter Sara; Carlo Capasa, president of Italy’s Camera della Moda; Tod’s Diego Della Valle; Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli; Moncler’s Remo Ruffini; Donatella Versace; Pirelli’s Marco Tronchetti Provera, and Afef Jnifen, and film producer Marco Valsecchi. As reported in WWD, Moore shared of Sozzani that she admired her “professional fearlessness and honesty” and the “enormous impact beyond herself.” With her work, “she stopped time and we saw what she wanted us to see,” she said. Afterwards, friends and family attended dinner at Palazzo Contarini Polignac.
Afef Jnifen arriving at the inaugural Franca Sozzani Award in Venice
Beatrice Borromeo and Dior creative director, Maria Grazia Chiuri arrive at the dinner in honor of Franca Sozzani
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