Born in Mantua, raised in Milan, graduated at Bocconi University. Gallerist, publisher and former fashion editor at Italian Vogue and Elle, Carla Sozzani opened in 1990 the Galleria Carla Sozzani with an exhibition space and a bookshop in an industrial building in Milan, devoted to photography, art, design, fashion and culture. Over 280 exhibitions have been presented, with great masters of photography. In 2016 she established Fondazione Sozzani which continues all the relevant public functions of the Galleria.

In 1991 Carla Sozzani created a new concept, 10 Corso Como, conceived as a living lifestyle magazine, with a diverse consumer experience at the core of its philosophy, a curated mix of creative mediums in a succession of spaces. Its blend of fashion, food, art, music and design pioneered a new retail model: the union of culture and commerce.

In 2019 she opened a new cultural space of Fondazione Sozzani in Paris and since 2020 she is the President of Fondation Azzedine Alaïa.

In 2021 she started focusing on creativity, responsibility, and awareness supporting projects that inspire people to think about the impact of their own clothes on the environment and encourage them to support sustainability and participate in the circular economy.