Bravo's Italian-born father, Biagio LaPila,[3] owned a hairdressing business in the Bronx, New York, and her Sicilian-born mother, Anna, was a seamstress.
She attended the elite public Bronx High School of Science[4] She went on to study English literature at Fordham University, graduating in 1971.
Her strategy included signing top model Kate Moss and recruiting the young designer Christopher Bailey in 2001, who was working for Gucci at that time.
[11] Bravo retired as CEO but served as vice chairman of Burberry through the transition to new leadership, finally leaving the company in 2007.
[17] The couple sold part of their 15-acre Long Island waterfront estate in Tuthill Cove, East Moriches, Suffolk County, New York in 2022.