Missoni is an Italian fashion house based at Varese. It is famous for its unique knitwear, made from a variety of fabrics in colorful patterns. The company was founded by Ottavio “Tai” and Rosita Missoni in 1953. Before World War II, Tai was an international athlete, but spent most of the war as a POW in Egypt. After the war he set up a workshop with his friend Giorgio Oberweger, making wool track-suits. His Venjulia tracksuits were adopted by the Italian team at the 1948 Olympics in London and Tai himself qualified for the final of the 400m hurdle race. At Wembley he met Rosita Jelmini, daughter of a family of shawl makers in Golasecca in the province of Varese. And this is where the Missoni scarf comes from.
They married in April 1953, and set up a small knitwear workshop in Gallarate, not far from Rosita’s home village. In 1958 they presented in Milan with their first collection, called Milano-Simpathy, the first to bear the Missoni label. The prospered, with the support of legendary editor Anaa Piaggi, then at Arianna. On a trip to New York, Rosita met the French stylist Emmanuelle Khanh in 1965, which lead to a Collaboration and a radical new collection the following year. Their fame was assured in April 1967 when they were invited to show at the Pitti Palace in Florence. Rosita told the models to remove their bras, supposedly because they were the wrong color and showed through the thin lame blouses. The material became transparent under the lights and caused a sensation. And Missoni fashion was born! With their designs being championed in the U.S. by Diana Vreeland, editor of Vogue magazine, they opened their first boutique there, inside Bloomingdales.
Now Missoni sunglasses and other accessories are available at stores like Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus. The early 1970’s saw Misoni reach the peak of their influence in the fashion world, with Missoni shoes making their mark on world markets. Tai Missoni then became more interested in other projects, everything from designing costumes for La Scala, to designing carpets and tapestries. Aside from the main Missoni line, the company has diversified into a variety of luxury goods. Missoni Sport was initially licensed out but production and marketing was brought in house in January 2002 and has since been discontinued. This included Missoni scarves and Missoni shoes.
M Missoni is a less expensive line introduced in 1998, manufactured and distributed by Marzotto, which is now the Valentino Fashion Group. It has achieved remarkable success in being able to reach a larger number of consumers and is now being sold at premier department and specialty stores across the world. The Missoni Home collection has its roots in furnishing fabrics produced in 1981 in collaboration with Rosita’s family firm. They launched their first perfume in 1982, the Missoni fragrance line. That product is no longer a part of the Missoni Home collection and the Missoni perfume license is now held by Estee Lauder.
The Missoni’s have embarked on another project and are now creating a lifestyle hotel chain with plans to have 30 hotels open or in development by 2012. If you can’t get any Missoni fashion, then definitely check out their new project at Hotel Missoni Edinburgh in Edinburgh, Scotland which opened June 8, 2009. Enjoy!
