Designer Rosita Missoni, founder of Missoni brand, dies at 93

Photo: Instagram/@missoni

Rosita Missoni, the renowned Italian designer and co-founder of the famous Missoni fashion brand, passed away on Thursday at the age of 93. A representative from her company confirmed the news.

Rosita, alongside her husband Ottavio Missoni, started their fashion business in 1953, and they quickly made a name for themselves with their colorful knitwear. Their designs featured bold, geometric patterns and stripes, including their signature zigzag motif called "fiammato." Over time, Missoni became internationally known for these vibrant, unique styles.

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Born into a family of textile workers near Varese, Italy, Rosita had an early interest in fashion. She studied modern languages, and in 1948, while visiting London to improve her English, she met Ottavio. At the time, Ottavio was competing in the Olympics as part of the Italian 400-meter hurdles team. The two quickly became partners in life and business, and together, they built the Missoni brand.

Missoni’s rise to fame included many notable moments. One of the most famous stories involves what became known as the “Battle of the Bras” in 1967. Rosita had noticed that the bras worn by models in a fashion show in Florence were visible through their clothing, ruining the visual effect of their designs. In a bold move, she asked the models to remove their bras, but the lighting on the runway made the models’ outfits transparent. This caused a huge stir in the fashion world and quickly drew the attention of major fashion magazines like Vogue, Elle, and Marie Claire. Though Missoni wasn’t invited back to the event the following year, the controversy helped boost their popularity.

As the brand grew, it became known for its experimental and avant-garde use of textiles, drawing comparisons to modern art. The Missonis’ bold designs, filled with layers and patterns, became an important part of the fashion world’s shift away from traditional high fashion.

The company moved to Sumirago, a town near Milan, where the Missoni family settled in a home overlooking the beautiful Monte Rosa mountains. Rosita remained at the creative helm of the brand's womenswear collections until the late 1990s when her daughter Angela took over the role.

Tragedy struck the Missoni family in 2013, when their son, Vittorio Missoni, the brand's marketing director, was killed in a plane crash off the coast of Venezuela. Only a few months later, Ottavio, Rosita's husband, passed away at 92, just months before their son’s plane wreckage was found.

Despite the challenges, the Missoni brand continued to grow. The company expanded into home collections and even opened hotels. In 2018, an Italian investment firm, FSI, invested 70 million euros in the family business in exchange for a 41 percent stake, helping to strengthen the Missoni brand internationally.

In 2023, Missoni hired the Rothschild Investment Bank to help them explore the possibility of selling the company. The Missonis’ legacy, however, remains firmly rooted in the colorful, creative designs that made them icons of the fashion world.

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