One of the founders of Missoni, one of Italy’s most famous fashion houses, has died at the age of 93, leaving behind a legacy of having forever changed the fashion landscape. Along with her late husband Ottavio Missoni, Rosita had led the way in knitwear, colorful patterns, and revolutionary design. The couple took a small workshop and made it into a globally known brand for its colorful and geometric styles.
Missoni: A Love Story and a Creative Vision
She was born into a textile artisan family in the Varese area of northern Italy. An education immersed in the world of textiles provided a boot camp for her fashion career. Up until 1948, Rosita studied modern languages, and it was then that she met Ottavio “Tai” Missoni, a member of the Olympic hurdling team, one summer in London. They fell rapidly in love and got married, merging their creative forces into one, which resulted in starting a small knitwear company in 1953.
What started as a small venture soon gained recognition for its bold, innovative approach to knitting that synthesized forms of geometric texture. The signature zigzag “fiammato” from Missoni became the iconic hallmark of the brand. These avant-garde designs soon caught the attention of the fashion elite, and their brand started rippling beyond the borders of Italy.
Breaking New Grounds: Missoni’s Fashion Revolution
Rosita and Ottavio Missoni’s work was not just about making clothes; it was about making art. Their creations blurred the lines between fashion and modern art, with their unconventional use of color, texture, and patterns transforming the way people thought about knitwear. The Missoni brand became synonymous with Italian craftsmanship and innovation, using techniques that brought new life to the world of fashion. They did so by celebrating a carefree, joyful approach to style that defied the traditional notions of elegance and sophistication.
By the 1960s, Missoni became famous in what is now referred to as the “Battle of the Bras.” In 1967, during a show in Florence’s Pitti Palace, Rosita realized that the bras of the models were showing through their sheer tops, an aesthetic she did not plan for her designs. She boldly told them to abandon the bras, and under the bright lights on the runway, the transparency of the fabric was too real to hide. The incident, though controversial, sent shock waves across the fashion world. Even though she was banned from doing a follow-up show at Pitti the following year, Missoni was thrown into the spotlight, and soon the brand was gracing the covers of leading fashion magazines like Vogue and Elle.
Missoni as Family Affair
As the brand expanded, the Missoni family was integral to the growth and development of the company. Rosita and Ottavio led the company until the 1990s, when the reins began to be handed over to their children. In 1997, Angela became the creative director of the Missoni ready-to-wear collections, a position that would guarantee the continuity of the Missoni name. Angela’s helm brought new vitality to the brand, yet stayed true to its origins in colorful, patterned knitwear.
Rosita became more involved with Missoni Home and continued to work her magic from furniture to home décor. Deep into grandmotherly age, she remained at the core of the business, commanding the home collection and helping with the wider-reaching lifestyle brand that Missoni was becoming. She loved architecture, decoration, and even mushroom hunting or scuba diving shows. The charismatic Rosita imbued vitality into everything she put her hand to.
The Tragic Losses and Resilience of the Missoni Family
The most harrowing year for Rosita and the Missoni family was in 2013. Within the year, in a matter of some few months, they lost their eldest son, Vittorio, in a tragic plane crash off the coast of Venezuela. Just four months later, Ottavio-the love of Rosita’s life and business partner-was called to rest at the age of 92 years. Yet, such enormous pain did not weigh Rosita down. She remained a driving force behind her family and the Missoni brand, guiding her children and grandchildren as they tried to work through the growing pains of sustaining their family’s fashion empire.
Even in old age, Rosita did not shun the business; she would appear at various events and fashion shows. In 2018, she was able to attend the presentation of her granddaughter Margherita’s fashion brand, Maccapani, proving that all her life she stood by fashion and creativity. To the very end, Rosita loved design and the Missoni legacy and always insisted on the joy of living life in color-a lesson she taught the children and grandchildren.
A Legacy of Color and Innovation
The death of Rosita Missoni signals the passing of an era not only for the Missoni family but also in the world of fashion. Her innovative way of handling knitwear, her daring use of colors, and her contribution to the craftsmanship of Italy have made Missoni an immortal icon of glamour and creativity. More than a fashion house, Missoni is a lifestyle, embodying a tribute to color, creativity, and family.
As a matriarch, Rosita’s influence cut across and went beyond the bounds of the fashion industry. A creative force, she helped shape the cultural landscape and brought in new ideas about beauty, luxury, and the expression of self. Countless designers and lovers of fashion around the world have been inspired by her work, thus securing the continuance of her legacy for generations to come.
Her death has left a space in the fashion world, yet what she left behind in the world is simply unforgettable. Her family, in particular Angela at the helm, will undoubtedly continue the torch first lit by Rosita and Ottavio in the 1950s, making Missoni timeless, a symbol of artistic innovation and Italian elegance.
