There are those objects that have become symbols in the fashion world, which are therefore recognisable to everyone, even to those who are not fans of the industry. Think of Tiffany’s ‘Return to me’ bracelet or Chanel’s two-tone slingback shoes and ‘Timeless’ bag; in Italy, too, we have our iconic items, and given the latest sad news, we cannot fail to mention Missoni’s cardigans and pay homage to its founder Rosita Missoni.

Designer, entrepreneur, pioneer of Italian fashion, matriarch of knitwear, mother and grandmother, she contributed with her husband Ottavio, always at her side, to making Made in Italy known throughout the world. Endowed with a unique and recognisable creative vision, Rosita Missoni was a legendary figure for Italian fashion and, in particular, for female entrepreneurship. Her vision and talent laid the foundations for the Missoni company which, since its foundation, has identified itself as a brand that combines style, originality and traditional Italian craftsmanship.

The designer put the manufacture of garments, the research of fabrics and their processing in the first place to create collections with an unmistakable visual identity. After all, it can be said that her destiny was sealed: the granddaughter of embroidered fabric and shawl manufacturers, Rosita grew up playing with colourful threads and the sound of needles on fabric from the family embroidery factory in the background. She had a working mother and grandmother by myths, in fact she started working with her parents as a teenager.

In 1953, she married her husband Ottavio Missoni, an Olympic athlete, with whom she created the world’s best-known knitwear company in a basement in Gallarate, where Rosita and Ottavio’s respective textile backgrounds merged to create what was to become a true artistic revolution. Ottavio Missoni liked to say: ‘I am the creator, but Rosita created me’. He made tracksuits, she gained experience in her parents’ workshop, so she knew a lot about the subject and together they were one of the most beautiful, true and beloved realities of Italian fashion. The choice of having home and work on top of each other will never change her, because this way Rosita can look after the family as well as the production and organisation of the brand, acting as an alter ego to Ottavio’s volcanic and messy creativity.

The two were unstoppable: they collaborated with Biki, a legendary Milanese boutique, created a collection for La Rinascente and were invited to show in the Sala Bianca of Palazzo Pitti in Florence. Queen of colour and geometric patterns, from mélange to the unmistakable zig zag, Rosita has made Missoni a reference point of Italian style since the 1960s, maintaining a strategic position in the knitwear scene, transferring her aesthetic sense and love of colour.

In 1997, he decided to hand over the creative direction of the fashion line to his children and devoted himself to Missoni Home, the design and furniture collection. Today the world of fashion, politics and culture salutes an extraordinary figure in our history.

Enjoy even more @ Missoni

Edit by @ Chiara Collu

Editor @ Monaco Woman