Chiara Boni | |
Birth Place: | Florence, Italy |
Occupation: | fashion designer |
Chiara Boni (born 27 August 1948) is an Italian fashion designer, whose career spanned over 50 years.
Born in Florence, a liceo linguistico graduate,[1] in 1971 Boni opened her first clothing and accessories boutique "You Tarzan Me Jane" in her hometown.[2] [3] A member of the group UFO (Urban Future Organization), in 1973 she got her first magazine cover on Domus. In 1975, she launched her her first couture collection. In 1985, following an agreement with the Gruppo Finanziario Tessile (Gft), she founded the company Chiara Boni Spa and launched her eponymous brand.[4] In 2008, she launched the collections "Chiara Boni Girl" and "La Petite Robe".
Boni's neo-avantgarde style is characterized by the use of stretch or soft materials, notably spandex and organza. Known for her often provocative fashion shows, in the 1990s she was one of the first stylists to organise a fashion show fully consisting of transsexual models, and she brought pornstars Moana Pozzi and Éva Henger onto the catwalk.[5] [6]
Beyond her fashion career, Boni hosted a TV program on Rai 3 (Il dilemma - Storia di famiglie allargate) and was a contestant in Ballando con le Stelle, the Italian version of Dancing with the Stars.[7] Between 2000 and 2005 she served as Regional Councillor for Image and Communication of Tuscany.[8]