by Jonathan Bazzi

Princesses, noblewomen, wives of great industrialists: in each case, they shifted attention away from the men around them onto themselves; through their spirit, clothes, and style, they became muses—icons.

From the Renaissance up to the first half of the 20th century, we have tracked down five such Italian fashion iconsante litteram: women whose powerful images, and their looks—not to mention their intuition and intelligence—played a fundamental role in cultural, social, or political affairs in their time.

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Source: http://www.swide.com/