Longtime AP Fashion and Vatican Reporter Daniela Petroff Dies at 80

Petroff covered the fashion industry and the Vatican for nearly four decades with style, authority and wit.

Feb. 26, 2026 at 1:51am

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Daniela Petroff, a longtime reporter for The Associated Press who covered fashion in Milan and the Vatican in Rome, has died at the age of 80. Petroff worked for the AP for nearly four decades, shaping the organization's coverage of fashion and the Catholic Church with her unique perspective and skilled writing. She was known for her informative, fact-based dispatches that captured the essence of the industries she covered.

Why it matters

Petroff was a pioneering journalist who helped establish the AP's fashion and Vatican reporting over the course of her long career. Her passing marks the end of an era for the AP and the broader world of journalism, as she was a respected voice who brought depth and nuance to her coverage of two high-profile beats.

The details

Petroff joined the AP in Rome after previously working for The Chicago Tribune and Time magazine. She launched the AP's coverage of the biannual menswear and womenswear fashion weeks in Milan, establishing the news agency as a go-to source for authoritative, succinct reporting on the industry. Petroff also covered major events in the Catholic Church, including the election of Pope John Paul II, with a keen eye for both fashion and faith. In 1985, Petroff endured a personal tragedy when her 11-year-old daughter was killed in a terrorist attack at the Rome airport, an event that also wounded Petroff's husband, who was the AP's Rome bureau chief at the time.

  • Petroff joined the AP in Rome in the late 1970s.
  • She launched the AP's coverage of Milan Fashion Week in the 1980s.
  • Petroff's 11-year-old daughter was killed in a 1985 terrorist attack at the Rome airport.
  • Petroff retired from the AP in 2017 after nearly four decades with the organization.
  • Petroff passed away on February 26, 2026 at her home in Rome.

The players

Daniela Petroff

A longtime reporter for The Associated Press who covered fashion in Milan and the Vatican in Rome for nearly four decades.

Victor Simpson

Petroff's husband, who was the retired AP Rome bureau chief.

Pope John Paul II

The Pope who called to congratulate Petroff after the birth of her daughter Debbie, following the tragic death of her older daughter Natasha in the 1985 Rome airport attack.

Lisa Anderson

A reporter for The Chicago Tribune who covered Milan fashion for nearly a decade starting in the mid-1980s.

William Safire

A columnist for The New York Times who quoted Petroff's skilled wordsmithing in a 1993 column.

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What they’re saying

“She had a gift for putting the facts into kind of a very artful context. She looked at that industry, which often takes itself too seriously, with a lot of amusement as well as respect, which is probably the right combination of qualities to approach fashion reporting.”

— Lisa Anderson, Chicago Tribune reporter

“Starting with an unlined jacket, a simple pair of pants and an urban palette, Armani put Italian ready-to-wear style on the international fashion map in the late 1970s, creating an instantly recognizable relaxed silhouette that has propelled the fashion house for half a century.”

— Daniela Petroff

“But with the 'slum pope' now calling the sartorial shots, fashionistas and Vaticanistas are wondering how his new cardinals — who hail from some of the poorest places on Earth, including Haiti, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast — will dress themselves for their new role.”

— Daniela Petroff

What’s next

A private funeral for Daniela Petroff is scheduled for Thursday, with a memorial service planned for Monday at her alma mater, Marymount International School in Rome.

The takeaway

Daniela Petroff's passing marks the end of an era for the Associated Press and the broader journalism community. Her unique perspective, skilled writing, and authoritative coverage of the fashion industry and the Vatican helped shape the AP's reporting on these high-profile beats for nearly four decades. Petroff's legacy as a pioneering journalist will continue to inspire those who follow in her footsteps.