Rosita Missoni, Co-Founder of Iconic Fashion House, Dies at 93
Rosita Missoni, the Italian designer and co-founder of the renowned Missoni fashion house, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 93, CNN reports.
Missoni, celebrated for her vibrant and patterned designs, played a pivotal role in shaping the iconic brand that has become synonymous with colorful knitwear and geometric motifs.
Rosita launched the business in 1953 alongside her husband, Ottavio Missoni. Together, they developed a brand celebrated for its distinctive patterns, including the signature zigzag motif known as “fiammato,” and avant-garde use of textiles. The company quickly gained international recognition and numerous awards for its unique approach to fashion, often likened to modern art.
Born into a family of textile artisans near Varese, Italy, Rosita initially studied modern languages. Her encounter with Ottavio was serendipitous; they met in London in 1948, where she was studying English and he was competing in the Olympics.
The Missoni brand’s rise was also marked by the infamous “battle of the bras” incident in 1967. Invited to show at the Pitti Palace in Florence, Rosita noticed that the models’ bras were visible through their tops, compromising the intended color and pattern effect. In a bold move, she directed the models to remove their bras. However, under the runway lights, the outfits became entirely transparent, creating a sensation. Although they were not invited to return the following year, the incident propelled Missoni onto the covers of major fashion magazines like Vogue, Elle, and Marie Claire.
Missoni’s layered, patterned designs appealed to a fashion world that was moving away from traditional high fashion and became the standard-bearer of the “put-together” style. When the company relocated its base to Sumirago, north of Milan, the Missonis built their home next door, with windows overlooking Rosita’s cherished Monte Rosa mountains.
Rosita served as creative director for the womenswear collections until the late 1990s when she passed the role onto her daughter Angela.
The family endured tragedy in 2013 when their eldest son, Vittorio Missoni, the company’s marketing director, was killed in a plane crash off the coast of Venezuela. Ottavio Missoni passed away in May 2013 at the age of 92, four months after his son’s plane went missing.
The brand has expanded into home collections and hotels. In 2018, Italian investment fund FSI invested 70 million euros for a 41% stake in the company, aiming to strengthen the brand’s international presence. In 2023, Missoni selected Rothschild as a financial advisor to explore a potential sale of the family-owned company.
