Milan: Italian designer Rosita Missoni, co-founder of the iconic Missoni fashion house, has passed away at the age of 93. The family-owned company confirmed her death on Thursday, stating that she “passed away peacefully on January 1, 2025.” In its statement, Missoni described her as “a visionary figure in the Italian and international fashion world.”
Rosita, alongside her husband Ottavio Missoni, founded the Missoni brand in 1953. The couple revolutionized fashion with their colourful knitwear, featuring bold geometric patterns and stripes, including the signature zigzag motif known as fiammato. Their designs were distinct, often blending high fashion with art, and quickly gained international acclaim.
Italian designer Rosita Missoni, co-founder of the eponymous fashion house known for its bright and patterned styles, died at the age of 93 https://t.co/cvEllG78Y0 pic.twitter.com/4OCrLsEspY
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 8, 2025
Born into a family of textile artisans near Varese, Italy, Rosita had an academic background in modern languages. It was on a trip to London in 1948, where she met Ottavio, that the pair’s creative partnership began. At the time, Ottavio was competing in the 400-metre hurdles for the Italian Olympic team.
The Missoni brand’s recognition soared through the 1960s, culminating in a notable moment during a 1967 show at the Pitti Palace in Florence. When Rosita noticed that the models’ bras were visible beneath their tops, she instructed them to remove them. The unexpected transparency of the outfits under the runway lights caused a sensation, making Missoni the subject of widespread media attention and ensuring the brand’s spot on the covers of Vogue, Elle, and Marie Claire.
Their signature layered designs gained momentum as fashion was shifting away from traditional high fashion. Missoni became synonymous with a “put-together” style and continued to be a symbol of innovation in the fashion world. In the early years, the company moved its base to Sumirago, just north of Milan, where the Missonis built their home, overlooking Rosita’s beloved Monte Rosa mountains.
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Rosita continued to serve as creative director for the womenswear collections until the late 1990s, when she passed the role to her daughter, Angela Missoni. In 2013, tragedy struck the Missoni family when their eldest son, Vittorio, the company’s marketing director, was killed in a plane crash off the coast of Venezuela. Ottavio passed away in May 2013 at the age of 92, just months before the wreckage of the plane was discovered.
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The brand further expanded into home collections and hotels, and in 2018, Italian investment fund FSI acquired a 41% stake in Missoni in exchange for 70 million euros. In 2023, Missoni enlisted Rothschild as a financial adviser to explore the potential sale of the company.
