Franca Fund Inaugural Gala Celebrates Fashion and Philanthropy in Doha

The inaugural Franca Fund Gala brought together the worlds of fashion and philanthropy in Doha on November 23 to honor the life and work of the late Italian Vogue editor Franca Sozzani and drive support for preventive genomics.

Qatar's center for fashion design and innovation, M7, has joined forces with the Franca Sozzani Fund for Preventive Genomics to welcome global names in fashion and culture to the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar, Click Me Production announced in a statement. Co-hosts were Qatar Museum president and Fashion Trust Arabia co-chair Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Franca Fund founder and Sozzani's son Francesco Carrozzini, and Vogue global editorial director and Condé Nast chief content officer Anna Wintour.

The Franca Fund Gala celebrated Sozzani's impact on fashion and championed his fight against a rare lung cancer, inspiring Carrozzini to establish the Franca Fund for Preventive Genomics in 2018. The fund focuses on the identification, treatment and prevention of a wide range of diseases through transformative genomic science.

Launching at Harvard Medical School and Mass General Brigham, the Franca Fund has raised support through initiatives including exhibitions and sales of pieces from Sozzani's personal wardrobe, an awards dinner honoring Julianne Moore, Salma Hayek and Iman, and a Zara capsule collection featuring photographs by Peter Lindbergh.

The Franca Fund Gala is the result of Carrozzini's goal to expand the fund and was created in collaboration with Sheikha Al Mayassa. In addition to making the fund and its work known worldwide, the gala also gave designers the opportunity to dress their muses in their latest designs, such as supermodels Natalia Vodianova who wore Dolce & Gabbana, Mariacarla Boscono who wore Giorgio Armani and Rania Benchegra who wore Elie Saab.