In her position at the crux of Italy's crumbling cultural assets, Borletti plays to the dual interests of fashion magnates when she petitions them for funds: helping build their brands while saving their nation's rich aesthetic history.
"The dimension of our heritage is gigantic Italy is an entire museum, " says Ilaria Borletti, chairwoman of the Italian National Trust, or FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano), which is responsible for much of that national inheritance though it lacks the funds to maintain the monuments it's responsible for.