Tristan Fewings via Getty Images

Franca Sozzani, the longtime editor-in-chief of Italian Vogue, died Thursday at age 66 after battling an illness.

Beloved by the industry and fashion enthusiasts alike, Sozanni was forward-thinking and passionate, catapulting Vogue Italia into the global spotlight with powerful imagery from the day she took the reigns as editor-in-chief in 1998. Her iconic and important magazine world moments include releasing a famous “black issue” in 2008, marking the first time a major glossy exclusively featured models of color.

As Hamish Bowles wrote on Thursday, Sozzani “turned her Vogue into a magazine that not only celebrated the power of the image, but also used fashion stories as a platform to discuss broader issues, and the obsessions of the fashionable world. Franca had a passion for, and a deep knowledge of, fashion and its history, but an ability to keep an amused distance from its modern day excesses.”

Beyond her admirable career, Sozanni was known for the impeccable personal style she displayed on many a red carpet and at various events through the years.

Here, in remembrance, a peek back at some of her most iconic looks: