
Willy Rizzo was born in Naples in 1928. By the age of twelve he was already photographing his classmates. In 1944, he bought himself a Rolleiflex camera and photographed stars for Ciné Mondial and Point de Vue magazines. He also covered the Nuremberg Trials. In 1947, he went to the United States for the Black Star agency and explored California, where he reported on the stars. Back in France, he was hired for the startup of Paris Match. In 1959, he became Marie-Claire’s artistic director and collaborated with Vogue magazine. In 1968, he began designing furniture and contemporary lights that blended in perfectly with older pieces. His friends from the world of cinema adored his creations and he opened workshops. He returned to Paris in 1970 and married Dominique Rizzo, with whom he lived and worked until his death in 2013.