Missoni
Missoni (1921) Rosita Torrani (1932)
The husband-and-wife design team; Ottavio (Tai) Missoni was born in Dalmatia, Croatia on February, 1921 - Rosita Jelmini Missoni was born in Lombardy, Italy on November 20, 1931; together they founded the Missoni Company in Gallarate, Varese, Italy
in 1953. The Missoni family describe themselves, as a working team of artisans.
In 1967, they had their first runway presentation at the Pitti Palace in Florence. In 1968, and 1969, Missoni was famous for its knit dresses, coats, suits, jackets and sweaters; but most of all for their long cardigan-jackets and sweaters. The Missoni's reawakened the appeal that knits had had in the 1920s. They used as many as twenty different materials, combining wool, cotton, linen, rayon, and silk in forty color selections. By the 1970s, the Missoni label was recognized worldwide as a status symbol.
Since 1998, Angela Missoni, (daughter), has initiated a reinterpretation of the company’s image. She has held the position of design director, responsible for developing advertising campaigns with Mario Testino, the noted fashion photographer; in addition to retail sales; brand awareness through a wide range of licenses from rugs to footwear; and the interior design of retail stores. New flagships in New York and Paris were opened, and a new bridge line, M Missoni was introduced for spring-summer 1999. Vittorio is responsible for marketing and sales, and Luca directs research in fabric developments and computer technology. In 2003, he was made responsible for the development of the men's wear collection.
Today the company owns more than twenty licensing agreements for men's wear, women's wear, accessories, children's apparel, linens, and furnishings.They have also ventured into fabrics for theatrical costuming and automobile interiors.
