Missoni (Q1833)
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Italian fashion house
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Missoni |
Italian fashion house |
Statements
1997
unknown
president
1974
collaboration
designer
consultant
Alberto Caliri was appointed Missoni’s creative director after Filippo Grazioli’s departure in October. A veteran of the brand, Caliri has been with Missoni since 1998, starting as a fabric designer and serving as Angela Missoni’s righthand man. In 2021, he briefly stepped in as interim creative director, designing two collections before being succeeded by Grazioli and transitioning to oversee the label’s home collection. Now, he has officially taken the helm of a label he knows inside out. At a pre-fall appointment, the down-to-earth Caliri appeared utterly unfazed by his moment in the spotlight. Despite his deep understanding of Missoni, his approach to its heritage is largely instinctive; he revealed that he has never explored the archive with any reverential or analytical focus. He embraces a straightforward, unfussy style rooted in his confident knowledge of the technicalities of knitting, where the artistic interplay of yarns and colors creates fabrics unique in their peculiar texture. “Missoni’s sense of color has a richness and depth that I want to revitalize,” he explained.In his thorough—though slightly delayed—exploration of the archive, he discovered that the colors were significantly darker and less vibrant than what Missoni has become known for in recent times. Beyond the signature zigzag patterns, the archive revealed a variety of stripes, tartans, and intricate jacquards, which he described as “rather complex.” Moreover, Ottavio Missoni’s spirit and his masculine sense of insouciant comfort echoed strongly in the women’s collections. He said that they featured greater structure and reduced layering—an approach he aims to reintroduce, along with a sense of lightness and “a collage of diverse possibilities.”For pre-fall, he broadened the range of tailoring and outerwear, leveraging the malleability of knitwear to infuse suits, cocoon coats, and trench coats with a quotidian versatility. The eveningwear was particularly compelling, featuring sensuous slip dresses in soft striped lurex that skimmed the body, alongside plissé gowns designed to be worn with the ease of luxurious pajamas.Caliri’s experience is certainly reassuring; striving to balance practicality with artistic flair makes sense as a method to refresh Missoni’s idiosyncratic visuals. However, to captivate younger audiences and increase market traction, he should also inject a sense of excitement and some bold gestures to reinvigorate the brand’s appeal.
11 December 2024
Filippo Grazioli went crafty, artsy, and (why not?) a bit crazy for spring. He fully unleashed his inner eccentric on the runway, fearlessly and almost obsessively exploring Missoni’s zigzag pattern with an avant-garde verve that felt instinctive and urgent.Backstage before the show, he explained that he wanted to reenergize Missoni’s bold artistic spirit and the playfulness of its beginnings, which he believed had been left dormant and overlooked. He emphasized that the zigzag motif has deep ancestral cultural origins, which he aimed to honor through the collection with a primal, elemental rhythm. The designer delved into the archives and unearthed a vibrant striped collection with a totemic vibe, originally created in 1990 to celebrate the World Cup, that he reprised to further raise the chromatic spark.Ruth Asawa, an American artist known for her modernist looped-wire organic sculptures, served as the inspiration for Grazioli’s tour de force of revitalizing the zigzag motif. He translated it into a multitude of spiky 3D, triangular-shaped knitted forms that alternately undulated, protruded, or unfolded in accordion-pleated spirals or tremulous mille-feuilles on tubular tops, minidresses, and leggings, generating whirlwinds of kinetic energy. Other equally spectacular specimens included dresses made from knotted ribbons, tunics covered in round sequins as big as CDs, and clingy jacquard sheaths adorned with fringes haphazardly placed like colorful brushstrokes. Kudos to Missoni’s know-how for pushing its knitwear expertise to such remarkable expressive limits.What made the collection both punchy and strangely captivating was Grazioli’s unwavering focus. Though it may have appeared excessive, it was crafted with such single-minded conviction that it radiated a sense of joyful, admirable defiance. It delivered electrifying mixed signals and jolts of energy that kept the audience far from indifferent or, worse, asleep. That’s already a rather impressive accomplishment.
20 September 2024
Missoni presented its men’s spring collection at Pitti Uomo, marking a change of direction for the brand. While Filippo Grazioli continues in his role as womenswear creative director, menswear was designed by an in-house team.Ottavio Missoni’s charisma was once again the inspiration underpinning the collection, which drew on his talent for experimenting with the technicalities of knitwear production. Amping up the innovation factor, textiles were manufactured in-house featuring yarns referencing the automotive industry. A luminous sheen brightened surfaces woven with the reflective threads (“a sort of a masculine version of Lurex” said a spokesperson) usually used for the stitching of seats in luxury cars. Cobalt crystals gave a lacquered feel to finishings, and rubbery coating lent an elastic flexibility to relaxed knitted trousers and jumpers.Ottavio’s signature uniform was a multicolored cardigan that he wore even at formal occasions where a tux would’ve been required. Here it was reprised as the collection’s hero, in a palette of neutral sun-bleached colors that toned down the vibrancy of chevron and fiammato patterns. The fit was kept comfortable and soft, with a lived-in feel suggesting a spontaneous, laid-back way of dressing.
13 June 2024
Filippo Grazioli riffed on a familiar Missoni repertoire for resort: Silhouettes alternated between the slender and the skintight, patterns jibed with the brand’s popular zigzags andfiammato, and the color palette was restrained yet with a summery feel.Grazioli favors clean lines while being partial to what he describes as a “gentle sensuality” that the malleable quality of knitwear only emphasizes. Asymmetrical halter tops paired with tight pencil skirts contrasted with fluid separates, as in a laid-back ensemble of trousers and unstructured double-breasted blazer, a roomy jumpsuit, and an elongated shirtdress worn over short-shorts. The cardi, one of Missoni’s most significant templates, was offered in a revisited slender version for easy wearing.Instead of mixing different graphics in the same outfit, Grazioli went for allover effects of stripes or color-blocking; for variety, he also added evening sparkle to sequined tops and sinuous party dresses with flared skirts.
7 June 2024
“I wanted to have some fun,” said Filippo Grazioli in the backstage mayhem after the Missoni show. No doubt he did. The collection had a bubbly vibe—quite literally. Bulbous, ballooning knitted tops and huge donut collars in shaggy textures were reiterated throughout, often mounted over striped high-waisted catsuits extending into stilettos. Funny they certainly looked.Stripes in every size—XS, S, M, L, XL—were the unapologetic collection’s leitmotif, reprised from an archival pattern from 1958 and reworked into graphic, assertive vertical lines on head-to-toe body-hugging silhouettes, or on sweeping coats worn over matching leggings. Crystal fringing swaying from back slits on (obviously striped) slinky halter dresses slashed asymmetrically sideways only added to the intoxicating mix. Progressing from stark black-and-white to pyrotechnic tones of turquoise and hot pink, the colorways at times bordered on the garish. The explosive Missoni parade didn’t let the eyes rest even for a second, at times struggling to take in the visual abundance offered by Grazioli’s unrestrained, overblown sense of fun.
25 February 2024
Filippo Grazioli believes in lightness. “Missoni has to convey ease, sensuality, [and] a spontaneous way of dressing free of constraints that syncs up with the velocity of our lifestyle,” he said at a showroom appointment.Pre-fall’s vibe was urban and slightly ’70s. Grazioli focused on masculine tailoring in soft, unstructured, and fluid shapes. Case in point was a pantsuit in an updated version of thefiammatopattern in dark tones of chocolate brown and black, featuring a gently oversized blazer and slouchy elasticated pants. Svelte citycoats were also introduced, proposed in malleable knitted textures with lamé yarns, or in alpaca in soft natural tones, with detachable collars for added warmth. The classi Missoni cardigan, made here with the patented Caperdoni technique in a rainbow of hues, was reworked in an oversized version that could also be worn as a minidressPlaying on contrasts, roomy proportions opposed form-fitting silhouettes, as in sinuous midi dresses that were stretchy and adaptable to the body, often worked in diagonal chevron patterns. Ultra-mini versions had a sexier, younger appeal, signaling the label’s focus on a wider range of customers; colors were toned down and delicate. “They aren’t loud, and should be approachable also by those who don’t want to feel overwhelmed by an in-your-face palette and excessive mash-up of patterns,” said Grazioli, whose approach to Missoni is gentle not flashy.
14 December 2023
Huge inflatable silver spheres created by artist Shawn Kolodny were suspended from the ceiling of the Missoni show venue, a space padded in plush white. Filippo Grazioli clearly had lightness on his mind for spring. “ I wanted to create a sort of put-together weightlessness,” he said backstage.The collection’s inspiration came from a book about Ottavio Missoni’s intricate patchworks of patterns. CalledKaleidoscope of Dreams,it was an artistic project the brand’s founder pursued his entire life. “It shows an alternative reality as seen through the lens of a kaleidoscope,” explained Grazioli. He wanted to capture the joy that comes from giving the imagination the freedom to explore “new dimensions, venturing into territories of the elsewhere.”Grazioli continues his reinterpretation of Missoni’s codes through a sort of slimming regime that makes them light to the point of ethereal nothingness. He reduced the vibrant colors the label is known for to sheer layers of diluted graphics in transparent tones; the zigzag or Fiammato patterns were also absorbed into knitted textures, becoming shadows of their previous optimistic, bold selves.The clean-slate luminosity of white was never part of the label’s high-pitched color palette; now it’s one of the designer’s favorite colors, a parti pris signaling the personal mark he wants to leave on the “Missoni vocabulary,” as he called it. For him, modernity rhymes with reduction, a take highlighted by the elongated and slender silhouettes accented by juxtapositions of see-through strata of thin knitted jersey, softened by plays of ruffles, knots, and draping. Grazioli’s Missoni is minimal, with a pared-down vitality, like a tune played sotto voce.
24 September 2023
At today’s Missoni presentation, classical pianoforte music played live; the atmosphere was calm, chilled, a far cry from the ebullient mood of yore. That’s how creative director Filippo Grazioli likes it. The men’s collection he designed synced up with his quieter rendition of Missoni’s ‘he comes in color’ personality.Grazioli’s chromatic direction veered towards a cool, toned down palette of white, gray, sand and khaki—a counterintuitive choice for the almost virtuoso quality of traditional Missoni color combinations. The designer’s penchant for sleek minimalism was also reflected in a restrained approach to neat silhouettes and controlled volumes.Conceived as a wardrobe of sensible, comfortable pieces, the collection offered trench coats, dusters, and daywear pieces inflected with a versatile attitude and some soft formality. Textures kept a certain impact, while plays of patterns allowed for creative layering.
18 June 2023
The rejuvenation of Missoni is high on Filippo Grazioli’s agenda. Reducing the color palette, letting the house signature patterns breathe on neat silhouettes, and spinning the label in an affordable direction while keeping it “ageless and timeless”—in a word, he’s simplifying the message and toning it down a notch to open it up to a wider audience. “That’s my Missoni crusade,” he said.For resort, pale cosmetic and sherbet colors were interspersed with optic white and some black to give a fresh spin to the color scheme; lines were kept sleek, with a focus on abbreviated lengths; and graphics were scaled back or magnified into micro-macro patchwork effects. “Missoni Light” seems to be Grazioli’s summer cocktail—fewer ingredients, mildly flavored, not too spicy. He believes that “being minimal makes fabrics and patterns more expressive.”The intrinsic Missoni feel is one of vitality, passion, and spontaneous joie de vivre. Beyond his penchant for reduction, Grazioli wants to keep this rhythm going. He offered bias-cut lace-trimmed dresses energized by some sequined sparkle for easy summer nights; slender tube dresses with cut-outs and draw-stringed gatherings; and satiny spaghetti-strapped slips with fringed hems for a dash of party heat. Plenty of practical separates were also part of the equation: bralettes, shorts, cropped blousons, and tube tops gave a jolt to everyday summer staples.
1 June 2023
Filippo Grazioli is finding his footing at Missoni. His second outing as creative director showed a more convincing take on the label’s fundamentals. It was sexier and more confident. There was variety and attitude.Glamour, an ingredient not always part of Missoni’s lexicon, was also added to the mix. In his first show, which was a sort of palate cleanser to the point of radical detoxing, Grazioli seemed to keep his cards close to his chest; here he came to play. He clearly felt more expressive and free. “I wanted to have much more fun,” he said backstage. “I wanted to bring about more femininity and emotion. It’s a bit more rock ’n’ roll.”Missoni is an inherently modern brand, in that the simplicity of the silhouette, the uplifting appeal of its patterns and colors have an immediacy that seems to be truly timeless, a likable energy easily registered and embraced. That’s as true today as it was 70 years ago, when it was founded by Rosita and Ottavio. “But I don’t want to be stuck in the archive, I don’t want to be vintage,” said Grazioli. This season, his only archival ingredient was a rose motif created in 1984. He played with the signature Missoni knitted patterns—the zig-zag and thefiammato—blowing them gently up, or shrinking them down a notch, letting them breathe in fresh new patch worked combinations.Grazioli kept the silhouette tight-fitted in sinuous dresses finely draped through plays of drawstrings, or in slinky sequined low-cut slips worn over flimsy nude tops with the archival rose motif in jacquard or appliqués. They made for a rather hot proposition, yet were nonchalant in attitude. A dressed up, glamorous vibe was also there in faux-fur sweeping coats in blown-up multicolor zig zag intarsia, and floor-grazing evening trench coats in frayed lamé, rendered in gradations of lilac and cerulean.Grazioli’s personal twist is coming to the fore: judging from this outing, we should most likely expect a sexier, racier, seductive Missoni.
25 February 2023
“Missoni is a language that has been spoken for 70 years,” said Filippo Grazioli at a pre-fall appointment. “My duty is to introduce new words, to widen its vocabulary.”Simplify, edit, streamline—this is Grazioli’s new terminology, his glossary to update the label’s lexicon. After drastically reducing the chromatic spectrum to just a few colors (white, black, magenta, cyan and yellow), and narrowing silhouettes down to lean, vertical lines, now he’s opening up the palette to more Missonian variations, while adding fluid options to shapes and proportions.Some items he just presented in the men’s fall collection were also proposed for pre-fall, like the rainbow-colored mohair cardigans and the denim pieces made in an updated textured version of thefiammatopattern. He loosened up the volume of knits a little, as in slightly roomier jumpers, jackets and coats worn over his signature short, tight-fitting and slender minidresses. The play on contrasting patterns and textures was more accented: zig-zag, checks and fiammato, often woven with lurex yarn to give surfaces some shine, were blown up in micro/macro renditions. The raschel andcaperdonifabrics (which are made exclusively in-house with special textile machines) were fashioned into masculine high-waisted pants, soft-tailored overcoats worn with matching miniskirts or bodycon minidresses.Grazioli also offered more chromatic variety, adding tones of lilac, rust, pastels, and bright red to the basic palette of optic white and black. Relaxing into his role, he’s honing his approach to the label: “I want Missoni to be real, timeless and ageless,” he said. “I want to see people in the street wearing it—I want it to be actually wearable, not just a fashion fantasy.”
24 January 2023
Filippo Grazioli is approaching Missoni with a disciplined, restrained eye. His new menswear was in line with this tendency, which favors a relaxed look rooted in ease and spruced up with sporty accents referencing founder Ottavio Missoni’s love of athletics. Presented today in the label’s showroom, the fall collection had a quiet, casual feel, and some interesting introductions of new patterns and graphics.Grazioli believes that Missoni today has to appeal to broad demographics. “What we’re offering is a wardrobe for a modern man, timeless and ageless, who needs to dress for multiple occasions but favors comfort and versatility above all. And who doesn’t necessarily feel himself wearing bold colors or strong decorative patterns.”Hence the edited color palette, grounded by black and optical white; for fall it segued into tones of beige, burgundy, and rust. The silhouette was kept fluid. Carcoats, overcoats and three piece evening suits woven in the house’s Raschel pattern had a supple and malleable feel. Mohair cardis in mellow pastels further hinted at coziness and softness.An innovative twist was introduced in the treatment of denim surfaces, where the zig-zag and fiammato motifs were woven to achieve an undulating tone-on-tone pattern. Elsewhere, at the front of a navy cashmere jumper a needle-punched brushstroke in rainbow colors provided a welcome jolt of energy.
15 January 2023
For his first outing as Missoni’s new creative director, Filippo Grazioli played the reductionist card, offering a palate-cleanser collection which, while rooted in the house’s classics, was stripped of the typical Missoni joie de vivre and pizzaz in favor of a sexier, body-con take. Clearly his eyes were on a younger audience, as well as the current trend for ’90s sexy minimalism and the celebrity scene, which favors high-octane visibility.Grazioli showed a very tight edit; the same version of the sleek, figure-hugging silhouette of the season was proposed on repeat, with variations only in lengths, which were either midi or über-mini. The repetition was apparently deliberate, as the same outfit, be it long or short, was shown in different color variations, thinned to just five options, with yellow, cyan, and magenta playing against ink black and optical white. The kaleidoscopic Missoni palette, one of the label’s most compelling features, was notably absent.The vast repertoire of archival Missoni patterns was equally submitted to Grazioli’s condensed, concise approach; just a few motifs, like the zig zag, thefiammatoand the Raschel fabric, passed muster and were re-worked into neat, incisive graphic renditions.At a preview, Grazioli said that he wanted to “shine a light” on Missoni’s true self, seeing its heritage through a prismatic lens giving out a new chromatic partition. He certainly is an experienced designer, who cut his teeth at Hermès and Givenchy with Riccardo Tisci: he understands luxury, and knows how to cut a sexy, slender number. Easing into the role of creative director of a brand of such strong character will take some time. It’d be interesting to see him playing with the house’s codes with a freer, more daring approach, expanding his creative reach.
23 September 2022
Filippo Grazioli’s first outing for Missoni menswear revisited the label’s archival fundamentals through the streamlined lens of simplification and modernity. It’s the same approach he adopted for resort, and the collection he presented today at the Missoni showroom looked very much in sync with his vision of womenswear.“For starters, I wanted to update the graphics, the fiammato, the zig zag, the patchwork,” he explained. He broke them into more nervous, electric renditions, which worked well with his restrained palette—white, black and toned down primary colors. He kept the silhouettedécontracté, loose and relaxed, anchored by roomy pleated pants with elasticated waistbands worn under light blazers made from the Raschel fabric, a hybrid knitted material exclusively made by a machine first perfected by the late Ottavio Missoni. As an updated Missoni-esque version of the traditional tailored suit, it looked rather cool.“People seem to be moving away from streetwear,” said Grazioli. “Even young generations want to look more interesting, a little more formal.” To that end, he just hinted at sportswear tangentially, infusing dynamism and ease into versatile pieces while keeping “a certain sophistication,” as he called it. “My way of approaching Missoni doesn’t have to be loud or pyrotechnic,” he said. “I’m keeping it more discreet and disciplined.”
19 June 2022
A deep dive into the archive is the unavoidable first step for every designer tasked with reviving a label’s luster. Filippo Grazioli, the newly appointed creative director at Missoni, thoroughly scanned the house’s past before establishing a refreshed set of codes for what he called “a new Missonism.”Resort was Grazioli’s first outing for the label. An experienced designer, he comes with a string of stints at prestigious luxury houses under his belt: he worked at Margiela when its legendary founder was still there; at Hermès during Christophe Lemaire’s tenure; then he joined Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy and briefly at Burberry. Now Grazioli is trying to find his voice, and to give a new voice to a brand that has one of the strongest, most clear-cut visual identities in fashion.His conscientious study of Missoni’s history brought about an appreciation for its use of color, its creative approach to unique graphics, patterns and textures, and for the inherent attitude of dynamism and modernity embedded in the brand’s identity since its inception. “I found a quote in the bookMissonologiasaying that Missoni’s colors are the alphabet of light,” Grazioli said. “It was sort of revelatory, and it helped shape my take on the brand’s new path.” He said he wanted to “turn on the light on Missoni, put it under a cone of light.”To that end, he reorganized the chromatic palette into a more edited set of primary colors—cyan, magenta and yellow—illuminated by the use of white and framed by black contouring. His overall approach was to simplify, “get rid of the superfluous,” and give a more disciplined structure to the collection. The silhouette was also streamlined: body-con and vertical, to-the-knee and interrupted by high slits, it was given a fresher, sexier, younger spin.The zig zag, thefiammato, thechevronand the patchwork, which are Missoni’s quintessential patterns, were also rejuvenated, blown-up and combined into lighter renditions. Intended as a wardrobe of easy separates —skintight slipdresses with lingerie trims, slit pencil skirts, cropped bustier tops, bellbottoms—resort highlighted Grazioli’s sensual, feminine, sleek take. It’ll be interesting to see how it’ll develop into a more articulated vision in his first catwalk show in September.
15 June 2022
After two shows under his creative direction, designer Alberto Caliri is exiting Missoni, as agreed when the company’s corporate and financial structure recently underwent a few changes. The fall collection, his last for the label where he has worked for more than 20 years as Angela Missoni’s head of design, was consistent with the spring outing’s simplified, reduced approach.Caliri riffed on his expertise and knowledge of the Missoni codes, offering a streamlined version of its famous graphics and leaving in the background the artsy layered styling that was one of Angela’s mainstays. He kept the look neat and unfussy, indulging in what he called “the harmonious clashes between a bourgeois spirit, elegant and Milanese, and a hip, younger rock attitude.” The theme was reiterated throughout: a black leather biker jacket was worn under a pinstriped masculine blazer; a white patent leather cropped perfecto peeked underneath a knitted chevron coat, thrown nonchalantly over the shoulders. On the same note, a cape in a blown-up fiammato pattern looked cool paired with a zippered motorbike jumpsuit in soft nappa leather.Knitted wrap coats came in generous, enveloping proportions in various fabrics. Standouts were striped with sequins or woven in rainbow-colored metallic Lurex. “I wanted to give knitwear a lived-in, warm, emotional quality,” said Caliri, referring to the perfect-imperfect techniques he applied to the textures of roomy cashmere jumpers and tank tops, which were felted, cut and left slightly flawed. “To me, they convey the same intimate, familiar feel of wrinkles on a beautiful face.”
25 February 2022
Missoni’s men’s collection was presented without fanfare in the label’s showroom; designed in house, it read as a transitional offer while the company waits to introduce the new creative director, whose arrival is expected in the spring.The press notes quoted the art movement of informal abstractionism, which blossomed in Italy during the ‘40s, as the collection’s inspiration. The colorful graphic patterns and the vibrant chromatic palette on Missoni signature knitwear were translated from the oeuvre of Italian painter Giulio Turcato. Chunky sweaters and waistcoats in knitted jacquards had a feel of the handmade, paired with supple trackpants for comfort. Unfussy and practical, a series of slim coats and unlined suits nodded at the informal formality which is very of the moment.Completing the realistic, practical approach of the collection, a capsule named Mountain Calling presented a selection of winter knits, sweats and T-shirts boasting Missoni’s signature colorful patterns and upbeat spirit.
16 January 2022
Simplify, reduce, streamline: Creative director Alberto Caliri is putting Missoni on a diet, believing that the label needs to be “lighter, cleaner, less layered, less loud.” He already made his point in the September show and kept the same spirit for pre-fall. Caliri is no newcomer. His long experience as Angela Missoni’s head of design makes him a custodian of continuity; his in-depth understanding of the label’s dynamics is obvious. However, while his version of the house codes is respectful, it’s no reverential homage.The reduction approach was apparent in the slimming of silhouettes and in the smaller proportions of classic Missoni sweaters; less emphasis was put on volume, and layering was kept to a minimum. Any sign of chromatic flamboyance was dimmed; graphic motifs were less vivid and gentler. Pants in many iterations— from cargos to tailored straight-leg options to roomy laminated denim patched with zigzag Lurex intarsia— complemented snug jacquard jumpers, knitted in the signaturefiammatopattern. To appeal to a wider age group of customers, sporty street-inspired pieces (hoodies, tracksuits, zippered bombers) were proposed in soft knit textures and worn under elongated maxi coats or over minidresses. Evening was given a luminous sheen, albeit of the discreet variety. A long fitted dress with a hooded collar was net knitted in a sequined yarn; it exuded a certain sensuality, injecting a frisson into the otherwise functional, versatile offer.
3 December 2021
Waiting an hour for a show to start can switch even the most mild-tempered reviewer’s mood into upset mode. Shows in Milan have returned to a pre-pandemic hectic schedule, with the unwelcome corollary of thick traffic jams, hours spent in the car trying to get to faraway venues on the city’s outskirts, and throngs of street photographers—the usual circus that, at the beginning of lockdown, everyone said had to change. But apparently nothing has changed—not the shows’ format, not the choice of a more edited audience, not brands flexing their muscles to put on the loudest show. Obviously, we’re all in for the joy of being back and connected again IRL. But what’s happening says a lot about the fashion system’s memory span, which seems to be like that of a hamster on a wheel.But back to the Missoni show, which marked the first outing as creative director for Alberto Caliri, longtime right-hand designer of Angela Missoni, who held court in her new role as the company’s president. Caliri sent out a sexy collection very much in line with the sex-sells craze that seems to be sweeping Milan’s catwalks. While the Missoni repertoire was on one hand streamlined and lightened from excessive layerings and juxtapositions, on the other at times it felt reduced to a plethora of bare-almost-all options.There were bandeau tops with trailing side panels, crisscross scarf-tops exposing the back, midriff-baring patchwork jumpers, and scanty one-piece swimsuits in Missoni signature zigzags orfiammatotucked into low-slung pooling denims or low-rise straight-legged slouchy trousers. An oversized trench coat was left open to reveal a barely there bikini; a skintight long dress knitted in a black and white abstract pattern had the bodice cut out asymmetrically to expose a teeny-weeny bra. To reiterate the message, models were teetering on five-inch strappy stilettos, which made a glammed-up comeback after having spent quite some time dormant on forgotten shelves.The best pieces were the less revealing and the more subtly sensual—a couple of sinuous formfitting dresses in patchwork or zigzag lurex, suspended from a neck string and trimmed with swingy fringes; a cerulean blue long-sleeved trapeze-cut minidress; a pair of fluid knitted trousers coated with a silver finish, worn with a matching draped top. They looked seductive and appealing without being flashy or overtly alluring, hitting the right note.
24 September 2021
“Brand repositioning” usually starts with a dive into the archive for a dusting off of a label’s legacy, which is thought to be tarnished and in need of being returned to the splendor of its beginnings. There’s a long list of fashion houses that have undergone such a procedure. Indeed, the process is happening at an increasingly frequent rate amid the pandemic, most recently at Missoni. The decision taken by Angela Missoni to step down from her creative director role to become the company’s president is clearly paving the way for a new course. While awaiting announcements about the brand’s future, the men’s spring collection was developed in-house by the design team.Scrambling to come up with a credible narrative, today’s brands would do just about anything to get the authentic family history and lifestyle of the Missonis, whose ethos is rooted in culture and independence of spirit. It’s little surprise then that an homage to the house’s maverick founder, the late Ottavio (Tai) Missoni, was in the offing this season. Tai’s pioneering approach was to inject high fashion with the athletic dynamism of sportswear. The hoodies, tracksuits, and denim pieces here were emblazoned with the number of the bib he wore at the 1948 Olympic games in London, where he competed with the Italian team in the 400-meter hurdles, finishing in sixth place. On the same note, sneakers were updated with zigzag fabric details, 3D prints, and a sporty ’90s vibe.Tai struck a handsome, stylish figure. He dressed with relaxed sprezzatura in patchworked knitted cardigans, which quickly became a hit for the brand. Included in this spring offering is an updated reedition of three styles. Called “the Cardigans,” the capsule reprises the house’s traditional fiammato and zigzag patterns, only amped up in bold color combinations for impact.Appealing to new demographics is the obvious intention of the repositioning process. The design team is hopeful that a fresher color palette, more dynamic fits, stronger graphics, and heftier doses of logos will entice a young generation of customers towards a new Missoni incarnation. Of course, that generation is already being courted by every other brand in the fashion stratosphere.
2 June 2021
Few fashion house’s visuals are as instantly recognizable as Missoni’s. Their rainbow-hued zig-zags andfiammatopatterns have had the impact of ante-litteram logos since the ’60s, when Rosita and the late Tai Missoni launched the label. The charismatic founders imbued the brand with a natural artistic sense, a flair for innovation, and free-spirited originality, intertwined with genuine family values. The Missonis have been running their company since the beginning, with Angela at the helm as creative director from 1996.It’s a fact that family-owned medium-sized companies are today under strain, as a profitable expansion into global markets requires hefty investments of money and resources. The pandemic has made things decidedly worse, hastening the need for new directions. Welcoming change with considerable panache, Angela announced last week her decision to step up into a new role as the company’s president, leaving the creative direction for now to her longtime right hand Alberto Caliri.With expertise in textile design and an artistic eye for color, Caliri has been working alongside Angela Missoni since 2006 as design director.Ça va sans direthat he knows the label’s codes and way of thinking inside-out. He will ensure continuity—or at least a soft landing into new creative territories: “What I’m trying to do is to lighten things up, making the approach more natural and the vibe easier,” he said during a showroom appointment. “The idea is to edit rather than add, trying to find a new equilibrium. At the beginning for instance, the use of color was far more spontaneous and heartfelt, less calculated and forced.”Resort is clearly a transitional collection, leading to what will be Caliri’s first fashion show in September. It also brings into the fold the M Missoni line, relaunched by Margherita Missoni in 2018 and discontinued in March after just a few seasons. It’s a marketing move which emphasizes the label’s focus on broadening its reach, appealing to the much sought-after young audience. Hence a wider offer of hoodies, denim pieces, and track pants in spongy, pastel-hued textures or in bright and shiny quilted nylon.Not straying too far from familiar territory, Caliri proposed a “urban pleasurewear wardrobe,” as he called it, of sensible separates easily mixed and matched in soft color combinations. The silhouette is lean and elongated; volumes are enveloping and comforting, while a nod to luxe sportswear introduces a note of dynamism.
Minidresses were embroidered with geometries of sequins, while ankle-grazing tunics dusted with metallic speckles looked liquid. “There’s no radical change,” said Caliri. “It’s just about reaffirming some strong principles. Angela’s sequined dresses were terrific. That sensation of brightness and light, that femininity—it feels strong and uncomplicated. For me, it’s about going back to a sentiment, to a certain spirit of the beginnings, rather than reworking motifs, patterns, or graphics.”
1 June 2021
Angela Missoni has been selling a lot of cardigans lately. “I should do a collection of cardigans only,” she teased on a phone call from Milan: When shopping got real! But, while pragmatism and comfort may be fashion’s favorite new concepts, for Missoni they’re life. “Knit is the first thing you think of when you think about comfort, and that’s how Missoni started,” the designer said, reflecting on her late father Tai’s fusion of knitwear and sportswear and the way her mother, Rosita—90 and newly vaccinated—elevated it into high fashion in the 1960s. “Comfort is in the DNA of Missoni: being able to move at any point in the day, on any occasion.”Since the pandemic prevented her from putting on a real fashion show, Missoni thought she’d do something even realer than that: Take the real-clothes label inherent to her brand’s genetics and give it the airtime it rarely receives in runway fashion. “When you go to a show, you get the look of the season. But I didn’t want to have that because this moment in time makes us understand that we are over that. We’ve been over seasons for a long time. I wanted to show the spirit of a group of girls in different moments of real life.” The styling of her short film mixed pieces across seasons the way we would in real life; in this case Missoni’s 2021 collections, the in-season spring and upcoming fall.Presented on a group of women seen moving through everyday-life scenarios—business, leisure, party, and travel—the collections embraced comfort in a big way. Literally: The most casual aspects of the collection were magnified in cut, from scaled-up cabans to oversized hoodies, swathing sweaters, and cardigans. Evening dresses were kept real in simple column shapes—some knitted with glitter—while dresses for day were imbued with the eternal movement of plissé. They looked real, quite practically, in the sense of how people actually dress in the street or at parties.In fashion, normally tasked with pushing our comfort zones to new levels, we don’t see that sort of thing often. But then, as the cover of “Mad World” that scored the film reminded us, that could be said for most of our current reality. “When I think about Missoni, I always think about the fact that our pieces last a very long time in a person’s wardrobe,” Missoni said. “When you buy a Missoni piece, you keep it for years and years. So I’m happy to introduce more pieces to this wardrobe that will last. It’s a way of thinking sustainably.”
24 February 2021
Angela Missoni wanted to give a luxurious spin to the easy-to-wear pieces that have become very much part of our daily wardrobe. For pre-fall, she perked up the ubiquitous leisurewear look with a bit of shine and gloss. “I think that at this point we’ve ready for a certain glamour,” she said via Zoom.Missoni believes that we won’t give up the desire for a comfortable way of dressing when the pandemic fades away, but that our craving for glam and pizzazz will be just as strong, if not more so. To transition to more dressed-up mindsets, she offered sexy versions of tracksuits, hoodies, and sweats with lots of Lurex to add sparkle and a feisty ready-to-party vibe to the collection.Swingy little frocks, short enough to show plenty of legs in high-heeled sandals, were barely covered by oversized shawl-collared wrapping cardis; a tube dress with thin straps criss-crossing the back looked ready for the dance floor, or seductive enough for a dinner date. Tracksuits in soft silver lamé were definitely not meant for some at-home Peloton session; a chunky hooded sweater warm enough to substitute for a coat was worn over a wool brassière, a sort of sexy version of a gym-ready racerback top.Sleek and sensual, the collection had a dynamic allure. “I wanted to give it an energy boost,” said Angela. “Some speed, freshness, a sunny-side-up mood, seduction. We have to stay open minded, turning a difficult time into a time for change. We’re definitely ready to move on.”
27 January 2021
Angela Missoni was Zooming from her office in Sumirago, where the view outside the windows was of a hazy, wintry landscape in every imaginable shade of gray—surely many more than 50: “Nature has alway been part of our lives and of who we are as a family,” she said. That has translated creatively into the brand’s textural combinations and pictorial sense of color. The label’s intricate patterns give off a sort of organic vibration, similar to that of naturalistic tableaux.The tonal palette of the men’s collection seemed inspired by nostalgia for spending time in the country and for the immersive sense of protection nature can provide. “In this particular moment we crave to be comforted and cuddled,” said Angela. “So I wanted to give the collection the most tactile of finishes. If we can’t be hugged by another human being, at least let’s get ourselves hugged by the softest, most stroke-able sweater ever.”Missoni’s inventive knitwear techniques made every piece feel as smooth and silky as cashmere. Lambswool was boiled and “crushed” to break the fibers and make them more pliable; textures were kept looser and less compact for a malleable feel; mixes of viscose, techno wool, and mohair were treated to achieve extreme plasticity.The classic Missoni patterns—chevrons, intarsias, zigzags—were reworked into new tonal-colored incarnations. Soft-tailored, functional outerwear pieces with a casual feel—quilted knitted piuminos, utilitarian cabans, oversized shirts, and reversible bombers padded with recycled nylon—were often made from archival Missoni stock yarns, given new life with experimental finishes. “Our strength is versatility,” said Angela. “We don’t follow trends; our style adjusts naturally to the evolution of fashion. It’s attuned to the times. For us, comfort is rooted in our way of life, as a family and as designers—it certainly isn’t something we’ve discovered today.”
25 January 2021
That working from home has changed the approach to fashion design, at least for the foreseeable future, is a fact. Silhouettes have been redefined through the lens of comfort, which has apparently become the paramount vector directing today’s consumers’ fashion preferences. Is this a shift that will be permanent? Circumstances are so volatile that no prediction can be made, but there’s definitely a new way of thinking about function and form. Shapes are looser; volumes are protective as sheltering cocoons; and fabrics are tactile for soothing self-care. With lockdowns and variously orchestrated curfews resuming in most countries, life indoors will be our everyday reality for months to come—friendly, easy-to-wear clothes won’t go away anytime soon.For some designers, trading structure and tailoring for softer, more informal options has meant confronting a creative tectonic shift, a sort of reversal of their design principles. Not for Angela Missoni: “For us, comfort has always been at the foundation of our style,” she said via Zoom. “Knitwear is indeed the most malleable, versatile medium to convey a feel of ease. So there’s nothing new for us—we haven’t changed our perspective.”Discussing her new spring collection, she elaborated, “Since my parents established our house in the ’50s, our collections have never been elaborate or over-designed. Nevertheless, this season I went for even more simplicity and clarity. It came as a spontaneous feel. We are designers and not sociologists; our creativity is what drives us. Although these times call for a heightened sense of responsibility and more engagement on social issues, women—myself included—still desire to be feminine and to express a certain sensuality, even when confined at home.”The lineup pivoted around an elongated and slightly ’90s silhouette—think tube tops or midriff-baring mini cardigans; slender body-hugging midi-skirts with sexy thigh-high slits; and straight-cut thin-strapped slip dresses baring the back. Missoni’s typical 3D textures were smoothed and simplified, with plays of horizontal intarsias contrasting the verticality of the lines, a touch of Lurex and fishnet-knitted sequins adding luminosity and sparkle. Missoni paired every outfit withT-strap stilettos, casually wrapped around the ankle with printed foulards. “I’ve found myself looking at high heels in my wardrobe with a feel of longing,” she said. “I can’t wait to wear them again when all this will hopefully be over.”
2 November 2020
This Missoni show took place at the end of a day in Milan when headlines about the rapid spread of the coronavirus nearby were causing concern that bordered on panic. In fact, as guests lingered over their cheese plates at Missoni’s postshow dinner party, anxiously discussing incubation periods and transmission, Giorgio Armani announced that his week-closing show the next day would be held without an audience. A crisis of this scale makes the close study of fabric choices and silhouettes and shoe heights seem all too frivolous. Nonetheless, that’s what we’re here to do. And this was a pretty terrific Missoni collection, current events notwithstanding.The organizing principle was geometry. Press notes made reference to the 1884 bookFlatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, in which its author, Edwin A. Abbott, made squares sexy. In a word or three that’s what Angela Missoni was up to here. Geometric patterns of all kinds were collaged on every manner of knit, from the most generous of belted cardigans to body-clinging ribbed tops and tube skirts. The palette was dark and moody and shot through with metallic Lurex, and as ever the patchworking of different motifs was a marvel. In the seasonal statement coat race, the label’s navy and gold intarsia with slouched-on ’80s proportions was a contender for top place. The only misstep was the cone-heel sandal, whose excessive height made negotiating the cement floor of the show venue nigh on impossible. Brands across the fashion spectrum are turning to knits because their comfort factor makes them reliable sells. Ease is integral to Missoni’s appeal—that shouldn’t stop at the ankle.
22 February 2020
A visit to the Missoni showroom after an endless day of men’s shows can lift the mood of even the most exhausted editor. The atmosphere at yesterday’s presentation was cheerful and warm—the Missonis have a flair for making everyone feel as if they’re part of the family. This disposition extends from the art they collect to the decoration of their homes to how they entertain—and, of course, to the clothes they make.Of the new men’s collection, Angela Missoni said, “We are inspired by the things we love.” Here it was music, specifically the New York jazz scene of the late ’70s and early ’80s, a liberal moment of cultural fusion and experimentation. The great Miles Davis was at the center of it, and his peculiar style served as a sort of template for the collection. “He was a client,” explained Angela.Davis’s fashion sense evolved throughout the years, his early predilection for a rather formal attire morphing into a more flamboyant, eccentric, free-wheeling style. “It’s this spirit of freedom and unique self-expression that we tried to capture,” the designer said. “Being eclectic is second nature to us, so we’re naturally drawn to people who respond to this attitude.”The emphasis was placed on voluminous, comfortable (and comforting) knitted pieces proposed as outerwear, with a riot of archival patterns, patch-worked jacquards, and inventive multi-stitch motifs blending on shawl-collared cardigans, bombers, and oversized blousons. Colors were obviously a feast for the eye, with darker tones setting off a chromatic vibrance that was pure Missoni. Here and there Angela indulged her love of travel. An elegant double-breasted camel coat in felted wool was embroidered with geometric motifs inspired by a carpet bought in Mali, a loose shirt in exclusive pashmina cashmere was printed in the blue and red checks typical of Masai blankets. On a reversible car coat, a twill jacquard had a kinetic ikat effect. “We put together the collection as if it were a musical piece, a rhythmical exercise of blending together the things we cherish.” She added, “Comfort and ease, color and more color, the tactile pleasure of a soft knitted piece and our crazy way of creating a unique mix of patterns.”
13 January 2020
For Pre-Fall, Angela Missoni and her design team looked at the unique style of Jane Forth, one of Andy Warhol’s muses, who went from being the Factory’s appointed receptionist to an adolescent film sensation, playing alongside Joe Dallesandro in Paul Morrissey’s 1968 cult movieTrash. By the Factory’s standards, her look was rather peculiar: angular features, alabaster skin, shaved-off brows, and slicked back dark hair in a neat bun. Her fashion sense was also quirky and oddly chic, mixing downtown vintage with a certain fetching high-style polish.This look still retains a rather “now” appeal, and it translated well into the new contoured figure proposed in the collection. “There’s such freedom today to be whoever you’d like to be. But I think there’s a need for beauty, for femininity,” said Angela. “Or at least this is what I feel for now. Shapes which are closer to the body, a certain flair for dressing up and for being more soignée.” The silhouette was, in fact, lean and sensuous, with a few hints of the 1970s in slim flared pants and tiny waistcoats layered under slender cardis. Long tiered dresses retained a haute Bohemian flavor but were worn under generous masculine checkered coats or round-shaped patchworked blousons for ease. They were offset and counterbalanced by a series of short minidresses, knitted in the imaginative Missoni patterns or else printed with floral motifs, hiding the Missoni logo among abstract curlicues. The new mini length is creeping up in Pre-Fall collections as an alternative to the ubiquitous lady-of-the-canyon frocks that, in recent seasons, have overflowed both high fashion and high street collections.Yet when it comes to the so-called trends, Missoni is definitely in a league of its own. There’s always a sort of circular creative “loop” at work between past and present: The archival patterns are constantly reworked and renewed with a fresh, modern approach. “Memory is important to us,” said Angela, who is nonetheless adamant about experimenting with new knitting techniques. In the Missoni-sphere, the word timeless applies so well to its m.o. that vintage pieces always look of the moment. They can be worn forever without looking dated. In a world of disposable fashion, that isn’t a small achievement.
29 November 2019
Angela Missoni wins the location-of-the-week award. She staged her Spring show in the Bagni Misteriosi, a giant public pool in the Porta Romana neighborhood of Milan, with 1,000 guests arrayed on the Missoni knit cushions that decorated the wooden amphitheater surrounding it. As spaces go, it was positively monumental. That put a lot of pressure on the clothes, but this collection was as good as Missoni gets.Maybe that’s because it sprung from personal inspiration. Backstage, Angela explained, “Where I started was this idea of a man and a woman—a couple—exchanging clothes. That couple—who was in my brain from when I was a young teenager—was Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin. She was getting clothes from his wardrobe; he was getting pieces from her.” Nothing complicated, then. Just suits and dandyish separates for the guys, and for the girls bohemian dresses with the occasional slouched-on shirt or masculine jacket worn over the top. So simple it almost sounds basic, but that’s where the house signature knits come in. Space-dyes, stripes, zigzags, polka dots, crochet, patchwork, ombrés—they were all in play. More often than not several came together in one outfit.Layering like this can be intimidating to the uninitiated: Does this go with this? That with that? Missoni said not to overthink it. “I want it to be joyful; I want it to be happy and light—light in weight and light in spirit, and easy in the mix, also.” Some of the models carried crocheted and beaded basket bags as Birkin once did, with flowers cut from Angela’s garden this morning. They were utterly winning.On their finale tours, the models reemerged carrying Little Sun portable solar-powered lamps by Olafur Eliasson. Each time a Little Sun is purchased, according to the website, the social business “delivers one to someone living off the grid at a much lower, locally affordable price.” Yesterday’s Global Climate Strike didn’t go unnoticed by Angela: “We cannot strike, we’re all working, so I called Olafur and asked for a thousand lamps so we can be hand-to-hand with the sun, so we can spread the ethos” about climate action. Some people in the crowd turned them on like lighters at a concert. The designer achieved what she intended; we left happy.
21 September 2019
“For my generation, Serge Gainsbourg has always been an inspiration, an icon of absolute charm, his transgressive allure truly enthralling,” said Angela Missoni of the French champion of dissolute, cultivated chic, a rare breed of intellectual power and sex appeal whose intoxicating (and surely intoxicated) charm still fascinates. The Spring lineup referenced his eccentric style, much in keeping with the eclectic, unconventional vibe always running through Missoni’s collections. “Nonconformity is a precious quality to me,” said the designer. “I grew up in a progressive, rather atypical family. I look for diversity everywhere, in every form.”The collection, presented in Missoni’s airy, sun-kissed Milanese showroom, had an individual, effortless vibe, revolving around an imaginative take on the label’s classic visuals, elevated with hints at decorative panache and artsy irreverence. Much in keeping with the current menswear trend of informal formality, the silhouette was fluid and elongated; knitted separates, made with the exceptional techniques the house is famous for, were comfortable and versatile, with vibrant colors adding a spirited feel.A dive into the archives led to ’70s-inspired knitted motifs and prints gracing a jacquard sweater intricately woven with a Tibetan talismanic design with a folksy flair. A pastel-colored watercolor drawing was blown up into a poetic version of multicolor camouflage, lining an elegant waterproof trench whose texture was smoothed with aloe to achieve the softest finish. A graphic print of a man working on a jungle farm had an exotic naivety. Missoni’s output always has a certain persuasive energy, and here it was on full display: It’s pretty hard not to fall under its spell.
17 June 2019
In the current political and social climate, freedom is a vital, non-negotiable value that has to be strongly safeguarded and protected. Fashion, as a cultural force and a communication tool, can definitely help convey messages of self-determination and of independence of spirit and behavior. “As a designer, you have an influence,” said Angela Missoni. “It’s very important what model of woman you choose to project and propose through your work.”The ’70s have always been a favorite inspiration for designers. Yet, today, that era and its exploration of free expression seems more poignant than ever. Missoni’s Resort route pointed right in that direction: “It’s a celebration of the sense of freedom, of discovery, and individuality so vital today,” said the designer.A free-spirited attitude was at the core of the collection, which was full of great pieces mixed and matched the inventive Missoni way. The looks were styled with an artsy-boho vibe, as if straight out of Elsa Peretti or Lauren Hutton’s closets. Sleeveless tunics were worn as waistcoats layered over pleated skirts or proposed as fluid maxidresses. Shapes were elongated and feminine and the pattern play was compelling, a magpie mix of archival motifs and newly minted ones creating a sort of pictorial camouflage. Leopard print was also given the Missoni treatment. Inspired by the pattern of a Tibetan rug, it was translated into a standout slim duster, which could double as a dress worn over pants, knitted in a jacquard design of abstract foliage.The artisanal feel, one of the label’s strong points, was conspicuous in knitted lurex maxi-kimonos. Dubbed “Rositas,” since they’re Rosita Missoni’s go-to everyday item, they were worn with high-waisted palazzo pants or floaty dresses. A subtle touch of soft, masculine tailoring was in evidence in malleable blazer-cardigans while a fringed cape-shawl in colorful striped lamé induced visions of a latter-day Gloria Steinem. Today, we need those strong-headed types more than ever.
4 June 2019
Backstage tonight, Angela Missoni declared of her womenswear, “Everything is knit, even if it looks like it isn’t.” What her family’s knitting machinery can do—has done over the course of 65 years—is truly remarkable. The new Fall collection made a showcase of that variety, from the chunky ikat-pattern coat that opened the show to the fine-gauge black and white vertical stripe tunic dress that closed it.To Missoni’s point, there was quite a bit here that you wouldn’t guess was knit—the icy gray chevron jacquard pantsuit, for starters, and most of the chunky cardigan coats, which were boldly patterned. One of those coats was embellished with black and white guinea fowl feathers. Its graphic appeal was not insignificant, but the real attraction will be how it feels on the body: substantial and warm, obviously, but not heavy.Some of the finer-gauge, Lurex-shot pieces had the opposite effect; they were so weightless they were almost transparent—a somewhat tricky proposition. Horizontally applied sequins on an ankle-grazing tank dress provided the kind of coverage most women want. The men’s looks blended knits with wovens in compelling textures such as wide-wale corduroy, or in eye-catching motifs like ombré. Substantiality is what gave this collection’s outerwear its potential. The big statement-makers included a generously cut number in a colorful tapestry pattern and a narrow, neatly tailored style in the house signature raschel zigzag.
23 February 2019
Walking into the Missoni showroom for its men’s presentation, the impression was of actually visiting a gallery. Installed in the center of the pristine white space were sculptures by the Swedish-Chilean artist Anton Alvarez. Part of a series called “Aerobic Alphabet,” the boldly colored organic formations were made using the Extruder, an imposing self-constructed three-ton machine that basically works like a big toothpaste tube, squeezing out ceramic paste in various tubular shapes. “I’ve been collecting his work for several years,” said Angela Missoni. “It’s textural, yet abstract; he also wraps architectural elements with colorful threads or yarns.”The sensual, tactile aspect of Alvarez’s work resonates with the Missoni aesthetic and, indeed, it infused this men’s collection, which was designed with artsy types in mind. “I was thinking more of a gallery owner than of an actual artist,” said Missoni. “The style here is more soigné, a little more subtle, less eccentric.” There’s a new formality in the air this menswear season. The designer captured and Missoni-fied it via gently eccentric twists, most notably in the elongated silhouettes of knitted soft-tailored suits, whose beautiful tonal dégradés echo Alvarez’s vibrant color palette.The collaboration with the artist proved fruitful, also inspiring the design of a few gorgeous jumpers: Abstract patterns were knitted on flecked mohair, while undulating motifs were hand-embroidered on an oversize turtleneck sweater. Worn with high-waisted, tapered, loom-knitted pants, they looked cool enough to appeal to fastidious artsy types. Yet discriminating as they may be, they won’t be able to resist the glamour of ’70s-inspired tuxedos in woven lamé, worn with debonair plissé string scarves. Gallery owners or artists, they’re all peacocks in disguise.
14 January 2019
The Missonis seem to hold the key to longevity, both personally and professionally. Rosita, the clan’s matriarch, just turned 87 a few days ago, looking more radiant and alert than ever, and the brand feted its 65th anniversary in September with a theatrical show and collection that felt utterly on point. The family label’s aesthetic seems never to go out of style, conceding to passing trends without changing the essence of its cool, unique charm. Its archives are a treasure trove of pieces that still look fresh today, in tune with the fashion zeitgeist.Case in point was a series of vintage oversize men’s sweaters and cardis that Angela Missoni reissued for Pre-Fall, just slightly adjusting their fit: making the volumes a bit rounder, using up-to-date yarns, and working on a more nuanced color palette. They looked quite racy, worn as minidresses showcasing long bare legs wrapped in matching knee-high woolen socks atop high-heeled sandals. The look highlighted a shift from the last show, where ethereal, bohemian silhouettes were swathed in layers of flimsy sequined knits. Here, the mood was more streamlined and neat. Pre-Fall references included Edie Sedgwick’s ’60s gamine look and the rough, homemade style of the ’70s Australian surfers of the movieDrift. Not many collections could get away with such apparently incongruous, clashing inspirations, but in Missoni-land it all blended into a delightful mix.Sedgwick’s influence could be seen in the short, boxy, double-breasted city coats in knitted wools, whose color palette had a quiet vibrancy. Along the same lines, of-the-moment tailoring made an appearance in a slim-fit, three-piece knitted wool pantsuit: “The Missoni Technicolor version of the pin-striped suit,” said Angela. While straying from bohemia, hints of romance and a free-spirited attitude persisted in grunge-inspired blanket capes, elongated striped tunics, and languid patchwork dusters worn over roomy palazzo pants.Patchwork is one of Missoni’s signature techniques, and here a limited-edition bomber jacket was made out of yarn and fabric leftovers from past collections.
“This upcycling process is very important to me and for our company; we’re resolutely anti-waste and very engaged,” said Angela, who also mentioned the new alpaca project she’s involved with that has produced an oversize knitted cardigan in hues of brick, cerulean, and porcelain blue; made in Peru, it will be sold with a special label, certifying the sustainable provenance of the garment. “Alpaca is one of the most precious and sustainable yarns,” explained Angela, who spent time in Peru researching and meeting with local suppliers. “The alpacas are gentle animals that almost tiptoe on fields without destroying the vegetation, because they don’t feed on its roots, so plants and grass can grow again.” Cashmere goats, apparently, are much more voracious, and their extensive breeding has increased the number of herds to such an extent that they’re posing a serious threat to huge areas in Mongolia, which are at risk of desertification.
3 December 2018
Of all the shows held outdoors this season, Missoni’s had the best luck weather-wise. At a balmy late-evening show in Milan, the audience sat at café tables to watch the long procession of models walk by, as Michael Nyman—a friend of Angela Missoni’s—played a piano recital from a podium.It was the brand’s 65th birthday—a remarkable milestone for the independent company, founded by Tai and Rosita Missoni on the strength of their knitting machinery and ability to fashion multicolored magic with zigzag patterns and patchwork techniques.The occasion was marked not by a retrospective but by a display of Missoni’s relevance to fashion now. The lighting picking out the garments, the diaphanous layers of the collection glimmering and sparkling hypnotically—gossameris a description that covers it. There were light layerings, a gentle, barely-there palette shading from off-white through neutral to delicate pinks and washed-out indigo. As the eye drifted over the textures of tunics, flares, and long slim dresses it picked out a nice idea—Missoni summer cloaks.The sparkle came both from lurex yarn and from the occasional bugle-beaded fishnet over-layer (which has kind of been a Milanese thing of the season). For men, it was simply a matter of easy-to-wear sweaters with abstract faces or the classic Missoni raschel-zig-zag pattern on oversize shirts. Italian fashion with a real-life spirit.
22 September 2018
Yesterday the Missoni family announced that FSI Mid-Market Growth Equity Fund has acquired 41.2 percent of the label, with the Missonis maintaining a controlling stake of 58.8 percent. For the Italian fashion house it’s definitely an important, energizing step forward that will help its international expansion, boosting its creative and business potential. At today’s Spring presentation, Angela Missoni was beaming: “It’s one of the most important goals I’ve achieved in my whole life!” she exclaimed.The collection she designed for Spring was displayed in the showroom on mannequins standing among a few mighty motorbikes owned by the young Missonis. “It’s a passion which runs in my family,” said Angela. “My late brother Vittorio owned motorbikes of all kinds; he had a huge collection that was handed down to my nephew Ottavio. The Missoni male kids have learned to ride a bike even before learning to swim.”The sporty theme was woven throughout the collection in a nonliteral way; just a few oversize jackets, cut in bonded leather in warm earth tones, hinted at the adventurous feel of long-distance races in the desert. Otherwise, a sense of breezy lightness was there in soft knitted tunics with elongated proportions, worn layered over leather shorts or drawstring linen pants. The color palette added a touch of the exotic; Missoni’s signature loom-knitted, overdyed fabrics and elaborate geometric jacquard patterns were rendered in sophisticated, muted tones: Dusty rose, amber, golden sand, and olive green exuded an elegant ethnic flair, highlighting the energetic yet balanced character of the collection.
16 June 2018
Farmis a book by photographer Jackie Nickerson, a compassionate and moving view of African farmers working on desolate lands in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Malawi, whose poor but dignified style of dressing has inspired many designers. Angela Missoni doesn’t really delve into references for her collections; her family’s past is her archive. Yet the book’s powerful imagery struck a chord, serving as a starting point for Resort, where she worked around a toned-down, muted color palette and emphasized Missoni’s signature way of layering and mixing prints and textures. “In the ‘70s, when my parents launched the Fall line in the U.S., the fashion reviewers labeled it as “The Put-Together Look,” so we can definitely claim to own it,” she said. That definitely rings true, as today maximalist mash-up styling has become commonplace in fashion, somehow synonymous with a free-rein attitude of self-expression at large. The Missonis really got there first.They can also claim ownership of a sense of joie de vivre and the spirit of inclusivity so relevant today; it’s something they’ve always naturally infused in their collections, reflecting the positive, affectionate lifestyle of their vast tribe of family and friends. It was an approach in evidence also in the Resort lineup, built around a series of soft, comfortable pieces in delicate colors, abstract floral prints, geometric patterns, and multiple textures.A languid, romantic mood could also be perceived throughout the collection; long plissé dresses in knitted Lurex had a fluid grace, while balloon-shaped concoctions made in crisp Tyvek printed with artsy motifs exuded a fresh, airy feel. Lightness of spirit and a touch of whimsy were also suggested via layered fine mesh textures and silk-fringed trimmings, which gave ankle-grazing skirts and palazzo pants a delicate transparency, as well as a dynamic sense of movement. Yet mixing the practical with the crafty is a very Missoni way of thinking; sturdy patent leather creepers in bright colors kept feet firmly on the ground. It’s definitely an attitude that has served them well; next year the company will fête its 65th birthday. To celebrate it, Angela went hunting in the archives, finding a series of old fabrications, actual scraps of textured cottons and wools produced decades ago dormant in their warehouse.
She gave them new life as limited-edition pieces: soft patchworked overcoats in a riot of textures and technicolor hues or in graphic black-and-white patterns that looked so gorgeous you wanted to steal them at once from the rack.
4 June 2018
There was a patchwork coat early in this Missoni show that was pieced together from vintage swatches Angela Missoni discovered in the archive. Backstage she said, “This is Missoni’s 65th anniversary; I thought,Let’s start celebrating.” It’s a tribute to both the longevity and the timelessness of the label founded by Angela’s parents Rosita and Tai that the double-breasted, calf-length coat mixed so effortlessly with Angela’s own creations—ditto a pair of ’70s-ish patchwork flares.Mixis absolutely the right word here. Missoni said the collection was a hodgepodge of cultures—Scottish, Jamaican, African, andItaliano, certo. Photos of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Lisa Bonet were pinned to the mood board, so there was New York in the late ’70s and early ’80s, too.It was a lively, evocative jumble, with men’s and women’s shown together for the second season running. Layering was key to the look, more so for the girls than the guys. As bold as the palette was, the interplay of texture was even more inventive. It ranged from tissue-fine Lurex and delicate fringing to substantial ribbed knits, chunky multi-plies, and fuzzy brushed mohairs. As for the pattern play, it was kaleidoscopic: stripes, zigzags, leopard spots, and talismanic animal patches mingled on one particularly vibrant outfit. Another combined soft plaid, a deep hem of fringe, and space dye. A backstage riffle through the racks confirmed what Missoni said: All of it was remarkably light. That’s an innovation that’s happened on her watch. On their own, individual pieces will be even more compelling.If there was an off note, it was the concrete runway slicked as with rain. There’s nothing sexier than nonchalance, but knowing the value of Missoni’s knits it was almost painful to watch as the wide flares and maxi skirts—not to mention the sweaters and jackets the models carried in their hands—got waterlogged. Counterpoint: Missoni’s casting stood out in Milan for its diversity.
24 February 2018
The Missoni showroom where the men’s collection was displayed today was set up with an installation by Italian artist Loredana Longo, a longtime favorite of Angela Missoni. Antique Persian carpets were scattered on the floor; their wool texture was ‘carved’ using a burnt oil technique, revealing political catchphrases such as “Now is time to turn the page,” “We need to seek concrete actions and not just words,”and “Now is the time to act.” Asked about the message she wanted to convey with the choice of such artwork, Angela forcefully answered: “It’s time for men to become militant, too.”She was obviously referring to the #MeToo movement, which has ignited a global debate on sexual abuse and the right to speak out. Angela feels passionate about it and doesn’t mince words when discussing the topic. But the men’s collection wasn’t intended to appeal just to activists or to a politically minded audience; it was more about the artistic subtext than about statements. The designer emphasized the label’s longtime connection with the progressive art scene, nurtured through the years by her parents. “I have countless pictures of them hanging around with famous artists, all wearing our knitted sweaters,” she explained. “Art has always been in our family history; that’s who we are.” And when art is able to convey a poignant, eloquent message, so much the better.Angela referred to New York’s creative scene in the late ’70s as the inspiration for the collection, built as a wardrobe of individual pieces. As usual, the color did the talking. Being a born colorist, she was able to give a strong visual impact to striped blazers, grandpa-style cardis, and chunky sweaters through inventive color combinations. Bronze, cerulean, electric green, and orange created a chromatic rhythm that was syncopated and eye-catching; jacquard patterns on brushed mohair were so elaborate they required 45 different colors and an intricate patchwork stitching technique to achieve their abstract effect.Silhouettes were relaxed, layered, and softly tailored; a play of textures and patterns gave a rich, sensuous, tactile feel to comfortable shapes. An ample overcoat in patchwork tweed was a standout, as was a striped wool suit worn under a lightly padded checkered parka.Missoni style is about consistency; keeping the flame alive while refreshing and updating its legacy is Angela Missoni’s mission.
The label’s visual appeal radiates a positive energy and resonates with younger generations; with an even stronger presence and direction, it could become really relevant today, its vibrancy a tool to fight our gloomy, difficult times.
14 January 2018
Angela Missoni hasn’t just inherited a great fashion archive; she has practically lived in it since she was a child. “I have very clear memories from when I was 5 years old of, say, buttons of a specific shape, or trimmings made just so, or of shoes of a certain leather, of makeup and wigs from a precise collection. Our archive is just my life!” she explained while talking about the inspiration behind her new Pre-Fall collection. “It’s just instinctive,” she continued. “I don’t need to look at too many references; my filters are just my sensibility and my passions.”This free-flowing spirit was clearly expressed in the collection, which was assembled with a palpable sense of ease and creative fun. Classic Missoni staples were given an urban folk vibe, as in long knitted wool dresses with a ’70s edge or a gorgeous cape hand-crocheted granny-style in little multicolored square patterns. The energy of color is a Missoni trademark, and it was celebrated with brio here. A voluminous kidassia jacket was dyed in vibrant Technicolor shades and worn with logo jogging pants for a relaxed, sporty effect. An elongated bomber jacket was covered in multicolored curly paillettes; paired with a long plissé skirt in silk chiffon printed with micro-florals, it had a romantic, feminine look.“I wanted to highlight the sensuality of textures and silhouettes, a touch of poetry,” said Missoni. Yet she introduced some masculine and sportswear-inspired elements to keep the mix balanced and current. Coats knitted with bright ikat jacquard patterns were cut amply, wrapping cozily around the body like luxurious bathrobes, while hooded knit capes were roomy and rectangular, with a hint of the ’90s. Palazzo pants were easy, soft, and versatile. “I’m proud of being able to dress different generations of women and proud of being inclusive,” enthused Missoni. “Style and passion, they have no age.”
1 December 2017
Spring 2018 marks Angela Missoni’s 20th year as creative director of the house her parents founded. That’s cause for celebration, right? Yes, but next year also happens to be the 65th anniversary of the brand itself, so she’s decided to save the retrospective reckoning for that moment. Tonight, she’s hosting one of her famous dinners—relaxed family atmosphere, delicious Italian food and wine—followed by a special bash held outside under the same rainbow-striped parachute tarps by American artist Rachel Hayes that shaded today’s show. The late-night festivities provided Missoni with the season’s theme. In prep mode backstage, she put it this way: It’s party clothes.Hence the emphasis here on sheer dresses, leggy shapes, and sparkly Lurex-shot bits. The look was very bare, less suited for a party in Milan than in Ibiza, where no one would bat an eye at see-through knit bodysuits and matching capes, and going pantsless probably isn’t so rare an occurrence. As a rule today, the more substantial the knit the better it was. There was humor in a fitted cardigan and leggings combo and a black-on-white jacquard knit of smiling faces, and a full-color version of that portrait motif turned a chunkier sweater into a potential collectible. The coat dress in a multicolored repeating harlequin motif was good-looking, too.This was the first time that Missoni combined the women’s and men’s collections on the runway, a formula that other brands have recently adopted and this house plans to make permanent. The juxtaposition emphasized the trickiness of many of the women’s things. Beyond the excellent lineup of crewneck sweaters in the men’s category, jean jackets in bold space-dye patterns and short-sleeved shirts in blown-up ikats had a compelling real-life viability—Ibiza, Milan, wherever.
23 September 2017
“I’m a passionate gardener!” enthused Angela Missoni, looking radiant at today’s presentation, surrounded by plants of every possible species and greenery of every possible shade piled up in Missoni’s airy showroom. “It runs in the family—we all love flowers, plants, vegetable gardens, anything green. Even my 8-year-old grandson Otto is becoming a connoisseur! My parents went regularly to the Chelsea Flower Show in London; they even had a rose named after them. My late father Ottavio loved to order huge heaps of bulbs: Once he gave me as a gift a box full of narcissuses, which I planted. They’ve bloomed beautifully ever since; every time I look at them, I think of him.”Missoni could talk for hours talking about her gardening skills; knowing about her passion, it seemed appropriate that the collection was dedicated to an urban gardener. “My mother, Rosita, called my father ‘her gardener,’” she said with tenderness. She didn’t say the collection was dedicated to him, but you could easily picture the tall, handsome patriarch wearing the colorful jumpsuit woven with the typical Missoni technique, with threads dyed in 137 different colors to achieve a bright madras pattern. It was Angela’s favorite look from the new collection. “Its production is so time-consuming, it’s not possible to have more than a very limited number made,” she said, pointing also at a featherweight, short sweater-blouson made with the same technique.Missoni’s style has always been intrinsically easy and effortless, way before the term became a mantra for labels trying, with obvious efforts, to capture that very natural effortlessness. The same inimitable flair was at work in the color palette: lavender, periwinkle, indigo, cherry blossom, apricot, shadow blue, mint, bamboo, and red birch fabrics were dyed, blended, and then washed to achieve a faded, almost blurred effect, as if it were a new, unique hue whose essence wouldn’t be easy to replicate.Shapes were kept relaxed for maximum comfort; linen safari jackets, shop coats, and slouchy utility pants had a lived-in feel, as if they’d been part of a well-worn wardrobe for quite a while. Cotton crepes, lightweight wools, jute, and washed denim conveyed a sense of a light, summery mood. There was nothing hip, nothing trendy, nothing loud, showy, or overworked; that wouldn’t have been Missoni. It was a confident look exuding a calm, joyful vibe, like a well-tended garden in spring.
18 June 2017
It was instantly apparent, seeing the new Missoni collection today, that Angela Missoni had been riffling around the 1970s-era Missoni archives. Safari jackets, patchwork effects, maxi dresses, daggered lapels, fringe. So much fringe. Yet the collection came off less like a straight take on the look of the ’70s than a retro movie montage, with all the costumes subtly modernized, and shot through with a glamour that wouldn’t pertain to looks hauled out of a thrift store. The sense of glamour was due in large part to Missoni’s generous helping of Lurex, which lent this outing a certain disco sheen. That was true even of garments that were otherwise subdued, like a brown, white, and taupe striped tank dress or a pair of coppery culottes. And the Lurex was double glam on the evening looks, a category that Missoni is increasingly emphasizing, and refining by including more structured elements, like boned bodice tops.Structure and sheen were evidenced, as well, in Missoni’s range of chevron-striped looks. Safari-inspired jackets, jumpsuits, rompers, and culottes in the wool-viscose blend served the same purpose here that twill or denim pieces do in other designers’ outings: They grounded the collection. But the sheen on the chevronned fabric, and the bright, saturated colors Missoni worked in produced a punchy effect; you wouldn’t mistake these items for basics. The nicest thing about this collection was that there were lots of splashy looks that could be worn in a nonchalant way. The standouts, perhaps, were the taut T-shaped dresses in the patchwork effect knit, though the same quality was found in crochet-effect bottoms and sporty, striped Lurex tops. As a general matter, Missoni seems to be aiming for a more casual tone, and a more youthful one. For all that it rested on the brand’s heritage, this collection definitely seemed to have a new customer in its sights.
6 June 2017
Milan, much like New York Fashion Week, has been marked by protest collections. Now, add Angela Missoni to the growing list of designers taking a stand. She put pink pussy hats in the brand’s signature zigzag knits on every seat in the house (the models wore them during the finale, too) and with multiple generations of her family surrounding her, made an impassioned speech at the end of the show. “In a time of uncertainty, there is a bond between us that can keep us strong and safe: the bond that unites those that respect the human rights of all. Let’s show the world that the fashion community is united and fearless.” It will go down as one of the feel-good moments of the season—sincere, endearing, and newly urgent in the wake of the headlines about the alleged hate crime in Kansas.Applied to the collection, Missoni’s message of inclusion and acceptance was telegraphed symbolically with the similar pink triangle adopted by the AIDS coalition, ACT UP, and the female symbol hand-knit across the front of chunky sweaters worn as minidresses. A pair of red hearts strategically covering a model’s chest on a third dress read like silent dissent to Instagram’s no-female-nipple policyanda love letter to breasts as the source of life. Missoni was in Earth Mother mode here, swaddling girls in multiple layers of graphic knit—sometimes shot with Lurex—and tossing a fur or tinsel boa around the neck for good measure.The news was in the tailoring. Not the Wall Street type—that would be truly unlikely here—but in the form of a bold, multicolor plaid double-button cropped-leg pantsuit and other shrunken styles in micro checks or nubby tweed. At Vogue Runway this season, there’s been a lot of talk about the right clothes for a protest march. This editor has her outfit all picked out: Missoni’s double-breasted metallic silver jacket and sparkly green pants. Vive la resistenza.
25 February 2017
Imagined as a portfolio of characters inhabiting abandoned human structures, this was an alluring collection packed with attractively cut garments in the mind-melting weaves and fabrications that Missoni does best.Plush-stitched cashmere zip-up jackets and half-zip sweaters, reach-out-and-touch-it tactile, came in the most straightforward pattern of the collection: wide horizontal stripes. Iridescent viscose sweaters flecked with a tufty fuzz of mohair came in rich plum and purple swirls. Mohair sweaters were patterned with oxidized silver starry snowflakes in a pattern apparently sourced from Japanese Kasuri textiles. One check jacket featured about 70 separate colors, another around 54. The few sartorial offerings—this was overwhelmingly casual overall—came in a dense houndstooth that was primarily purple yet due to house alchemy didn’t look especially so: kaleidoscope camouflage. Larger-scale houndstooth, more conventionally toned, was used in cropped and long overcoats and duffles. Some came in patches stitched together on cashmere facing within.Accessories include pop-up-able bucket hats by Larose Paris, pattern-complementing scarves, and some great molded-sole sneakers. The last look featured a topcoat, ostensibly gray, whose subtly insinuated shivers of oily viscose created slick patches of purple and blue that rippled with movement. It was the climax to a lovely collection whose intensely worked technical intricacy never compromised the ease and unpretentiousness of the clothes.
15 January 2017
Next year, Angela Missoni will celebrate her 20th anniversary as the creative director of her family’s brand. The occasion inspired some self-reflection: For Pre-Fall,Missonifound herself thinking back to some of her personal Missoni milestones, and raiding the archive for update-able ideas. The result? A very snappy collection.As Missoni explained at an appointment today, she wanted to highlight the difference between day clothes and eveningwear through the use of color. With that in mind, she kept the day looks subdued, showing collaged black-and-white stripe knits, kicky knit suits in sand tones, and a mannish gray check tinged with blue. The check was a heritage pattern from the ’70s, and Missoni also turned it out for evening in pop-colored Lurex yarns. The evening suit was a nice idea, made nicer thanks to the taut cut of the jacket and the coordinating cropped flares. There were also more emphatically glam looks for night, such as the pieces covered in translucent paillettes to create an overall luminescence, and the no-brainer V-neck dress in wave-printed Lurex jersey.Daytime Missoni wasn’t entirely drained of color. Some of the most intriguing pieces here were the sweatshirts and shearlings embroidered in candy-hued whorls that gave a galactic effect. Elsewhere, a patchwork fur with a palette like a bowl of Skittles seemed to pay homage, at once, to the era of Missoni’s original heyday in the 1970s, and that 1990s moment of Angela Missoni’s ascension, which recalled the house’s earlier aesthetic. The vibe wasn’t vintage, however—that piece, and others here, simply made you appreciate the consistency and coherence of the Missoni look.
5 December 2016
Angela Missonihad a long, lovely family-filled summer vacation she reported at a preview of her Spring collection, and during it she saw a lot: “A lot, a lot. So much, that I only wanted to see very simple things as a result.” Missoni was not that far out of step with Miuccia Prada, who, as she told Sarah Mower earlier this week, had chosen this season and all its myriad economic, environmental, and cultural woes as a time to "take care of now, the present." So, the moment calls for a breather, or so says two matriarchs of Italian fashion. In Missoni's telling, that makes Spring a moment for paring back your wardrobe. The only problem there being, of course, that while the house is many things—a historic purveyor of knits, the originator of the iconic zigzag—it is most definitely not minimal. Not now, not ever. So what’s a designer to do?Missoni went to the heart of it all: color. Some, like the patterns made to replicate malachite or tiger’s-eye, came from nature. Others—a bright, clean blue with tangerine; a dully glimmering pistachio with blush and gold—came from her own innately good sense of what women want to wear. The silhouettes were what she’d promised: uncomplicated. Dresses were long and fluid, or “very, very short.” (And holy hot pants, folks, she’s not kidding.)There was a layering-as-color-blocking maneuver employed in some looks, like the long-sleeved polo shirt and wrap worn under a sort of tube top turned torso cincher, which sounds a little weird, but worked. Though, it, like the eye patch–size bikinis, may work best on the small chested. Those bikinis, glittery and gold or swirling with earth-toned patterns, have bottoms that are made to be worn yanked up high on the hips (à la early 1990sSports Illustrated), which would make no sense to a modern woman if not for the fact that legions of the Instagram-famous already do it. They seem to have been the unanimous recipients of the same memo in re: how well that particular technique lengthens the legs.Here, the clearest successes were the classics, which tended to fall straight from the shoulders: a gold column dress; a green short-sleeved open-weave number; a tank dress in robin’s-egg blue, burgundy, and ochre; a flowing jumpsuit. Clean and bright, though not exactly minimal, but who cares—it was a palette cleanser, nonetheless.
25 September 2016
Angela Missoni recalled pre-show that when the family firm first burst forth, her father, Ottavio, was often asked the same question. “They wondered if he was bothered by all the copies you could see everywhere that had taken their inspiration from Missoni. And what he used to say is: ‘Up in the Andes they were already copying me a thousand years ago’. So this is a nice homage.” Strictly, this collection was inspired by a nation a little west of the Andes, but you could see what both father and daughter meant. Missoni’s uniquely dense kaleidoscopes of color do seem to have an affinity with South American artisan weaves. The Missoni family traveled to that continent when Angela was 15, and a jacket she bought in Guatemala provided the touchstone for this collection.The opening half of the show was a loose, easy assembly of knit, shorts, suiting, zip-up tracksuit tops and shirts—some rendered in Tikal triangles of Missoni knit—interspersed with breton striped undershirts and cotton field jackets printed with bird of paradise camouflage. As wide-weave leather sandals were replaced with Cuban heeled, sling-strapped shoes paneled in brown suede and calf we entered a second phase of fantasy South American cowboy. The straw hats were as wide-brimmed as the pants were high-hemmed: These came with a little flare, in white and indigo denim and, later, more rich weave. This was a sweet non-literal return to a geographically distant realm with particular resonance to clan Missoni.
19 June 2016
In a system that’s already upside down and backward (consider the mentality that delivers sandals and bikinis in January; fur coats in July), Resort is something of an idealized take on a fashion season, one where hypothetical consumers are immune to the wretched economic climate and frigid retail environment, and flee to far-flung locales at the first sign of winter. This fantasy meets its match inMissoni, a label wherein everything is chic and easy and totally effortless, if you have the lifestyle (and the figure) that allows you to rock a rainbow zigzag from towel to turban. Resort is really Missoni’s season; what other house has made such hay out of a sun-drenched lifestyle?Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of Angela Missoni at the helm of her family’s fashion empire. It’s been a lot more zigs than zags over the years, with last season’s showing a home run of the line’s classic hits (a collection as comforting to fans of the label as a thick pile of cashmere knits), and this collection continued in a mostly similar vein: sheer little polo knits and plissé skirts; thick, shaggy vests and patchworked shift dresses; knit hot pants and palazzo trousers and woven sheath dresses in a muted, November-friendly palette; a blown-up tartan print straight from the house’s archive (a welcome wardrobe addition come late fall for city dwellers); and jewel-toned Lurex for evening. There were some items that didn’t quite fit the bill, like T-shirts that boasted patchwork symbols, one in a Star of David–like six-pointed star, and a few emerald and rainbow-striped Lurex and eyelash-fringed items felt a little reminiscent of relatively recent work by Marco de Vincenzo, another designer with an eye for textiles and a profound appreciation of Italian artistry. But when it came to the classics, like the swinging ’70s silhouettes and easy, breezy, meant-for-a-dream-vacation items, like a new, romantic, peasant-skirt hemmed silhouette, they were all very welcome, and all very Missoni.
10 June 2016
Surely there can be no greater satisfaction than watching someone excel at what they were born to do. Call it the American Pharoah effect: Whether or not we have an actual horse in the race, we like to see winners win. Which made tonight’s tour de force and return to form of aMissonishow—one of Angela Missoni’s finest in seasons—something of a victory lap. This is not to say that the clothes were necessarily complex or thought-provoking or provided some greater narrative through line to the season; they were simply great Missoni clothes, fun and sexy, sort of seasonless, and vaguely aspirational (in the way that horizontal stripes and zigzag knit pants are; they require a very specific type of lifestyle). Which, by the way, is exactly what they’re supposed to be.Sure, there’s an argument to be made that a certain eclecticism and luxe bohemianism has been really “in” sinceAlessandro Micheletook the helm over atGucci, but it’s hard to disagree that Missoni was there first. “There” in a different way, sure, but these were contemporary takes on the hippie-with-a-black-card looks that put the label on the map in the first place back in the early 1970s.Among the hits, chunky cool-girl-on-campus beanies; thick, handmade sweaters worn sans trou but plus expansive scarf, which bounced along ebulliently like the arms of a Dr. Seuss character; slim-cut disco dresses; easy suiting; and lighter-than-air plissé maxi dresses. This collection proved once again that, at its best, there are few things more inviting than a really good knit. And isn't it such good news to find so many more?
28 February 2016
The chilly ancient cloisters in which this show was presented were specially carpeted with a thick layer of humus-fragrant, dead autumnal leaves—famigliaMissonimust have been keeping them in storage over Christmas. When the wind gusted they were thrown up in a dizzy, pretty, restless cloud. There was a dizzy cloud hanging over this collection too; a defining narrative about a rock star traveling to the Himalayan Indian region of Ladakh to find himself.Om.Having just spent 30 seconds googling Ladakh, it’s true that the color story seems to have been faithfully informed by its vistas. The endless blue skies, the shivering sun-blanched wheat fields, the shimmering turquoise lakes framed by towering mountains, the eye-melting sunsets . . . all of these were writ in knit here. But the telltale sign that this was a total wardrobe proposition was the accessory that came with the first look, a suit carrier. The only thing a man holding a suit carrier is looking to find is a job or some action at a wedding reception. Despite being couched in the Missoni mood music, this was a clear-eyed portfolio of wearable knit psychedelia. There was hand-loomed knit suiting, flexible to touch and color-bomb static on the eye. There was fully fashioned wadding-stuffed, circular quilted Alpine athleisurewear, and some kaleidoscope piuminos and parkas.The plain counterpoints were provided by suede trail jackets and utility pants. Yes, the coin- and fringe-fronted vests were a nod to distant Ladakh, but Ladakh was not the point of this—nor any—Missoni collection. If you are a wealthy bohemian with an eye for comfort and color and a strong sense of individuality, then walk this way, for you have summited.
17 January 2016
Hear the wordIndia, and the mind can’t help but conjure images of hot pink saris, thread embroidery, golden jewelry. That’s just one kind of India, though, and this season AngelaMissonitook inspiration from another: The remote Ladakh region, nestled between the Kunlun mountain range and the Himalayas, and inhabited by people of Tibetan descent. The Ladakh communities have their own distinctive aesthetic, which Missoni drew on for her appealing new collection.Outerwear accounted for more than a few of the standout pieces here: There were cocoonish coats of knit wool or mink-trimmed shearling, all of them emblazoned with multicolor stripes. Elsewhere, Missoni translated the Ladakh taste for fringe into frothy looks like skirts with knit-in, flag-like pleating, and tops and dresses with colorful, ornate fringe embellishment. As with any Missoni collection, however, the references played second fiddle to the overarching Missoni-ness of the clothes, demonstrated via the usual generous deployment of the house’s signature flame stitch and mottled knit. A checkerboard motif made for a natural expansion of the Missoni knit vocabulary; ditto the micro-ruffles that lined minidresses and gowns of cobweb fineness. But the best thing about this collection was its palette: Sand tones and black served as a canvas for splashes of color in just about every cheerful hue. Once 2016’s cold weather arrives, the Missoni coats in particular will add a dollop of pop to virtually any wardrobe.
8 December 2015
Turns out, you really can go home again. For Spring 2016,Angela Missonitook her brand back to its roots: “Sportswear!” exclaimed the designer backstage before the show. Her boards were full of photographs of Maasai tribespeople (Africa being, as Missoni noted, “the roots of humanity”) and the graphic, street-centric work of the Venezuelan artist Carlos Cruz-Diez, whose colorful, kinetic crosswalks inspired the runway. Yet the show was full of the bright, breezy, vibrant type of jet set–ready attire that has made the house iconic for decades.The silhouette was long and lean, with narrow, sweeping cardigans paired with hot pants, fete-ready halter-neck dresses in vibrant metallic pleats, and open-collared tunics paired with flowing trousers. Swimwear boasted generous looping ties or thick, layered Maasai-inspired collars. Fitted, striped polo shirts—the type of thing Missoni fans have long scoured vintage stores for—felt like a slam dunk. “Before we were a zigzag, we were a stripe,” said Missoni backstage, and for a house with an innately bohemian attitude (and during a season full of splashy, occasionally bewildering debuts), you can’t get more straightforward—or more comforting—than that.
27 September 2015
The Missoni man is on a roll. That's because he's still on the road, and nothing suits his style like a judicious sampling of the places he's been. India was the destination for Spring 2016. Angela Missoni's models walked on a rose-petal-strewn catwalk in clothes that fused Italian artisanship and Indian inspiration into a collection that was tailor-made for the Missoni way, with color, texture, and pattern. The compatibility was obvious from the start, with a double-breasted suit in an ikat-effect knit. A suit in madras and a field jacket in indigo-dyed cotton (Missoni's first foray into denim) were similarly strong hybrids of West and East.The collection's strength was that compatibility. The integration of a definite Indian color palette (Jodphur blue, Jaipur pink, a whole spice rack of orangey tones) with Missoni's already rich repertoire was effortless. The burst of sitar that launched the show was the onlyNat Geomoment. If the silhouettes—the field jackets, the baggy cargo shorts, the safari suits—referenced the colonial military, they were also an ideal way to highlight the sophistication of the knits. And when they were cut from washed suede, they made a quietly luxurious complement.Missoni's latest collaborations guaranteed the rambling man got his best accessories yet: Globe-Trotter luggage, lined in Missoni knit, and sandals made by Malibu. Long may he roam.
21 June 2015
Angela Missoni cited abstract artist Sonia Delaunay, whose retrospective is currently on at the Tate Modern in London, as a source of inspiration for Resort. It's easy to see why Missoni would embrace Delaunay, who not only painted colorful, geometric mosaics but created tapestries and even designed clothes. Missoni's mother, Rosita, is also a longtime admirer of the artist.To channel Delaunay this time around, the designer dabbed painterly prints onto silk blouses, and patchworked space-dyed knits into long dresses and tapered trousers. But it was the generous use of the classic "stereo-waves" pattern—in everything from a blazer to a minidress—that felt freshest. Design-wise, a reverse pleat on the back of several dresses was a nice, unexpected touch.At the end, there was a Lurex moment. The spongy, fluffy oversize cardigan absorbed the sparkle enough to make it palatable. That's when a collection like this works best: when the blast of color or shine is rendered in such a way that makes it impossible not to like.
10 June 2015
Changes in the Milan schedule meant that, for the first time, Missoni showed at night. It was surely sheer coincidence, but the collection that marched down the catwalk was all about after-dark. Almost everything felt like a flashback to a moment when nighteries such as Area in New York or the m-club in Berlin were crucibles of a new culture. There were oversize jackets, body consciousness, Lurex glitter, razor-sharp lines, and angular eyewear worn by some of the models. Even the updos harked back to that time. Frédéric Sanchez's New Wave soundtrack rammed the point home, climaxing in the ultimate anthem of '80s anomie, "Warm Leatherette."But this was no wayward nostalgia fest on Angela Missoni's part. The collection actually represented a major recommitment to the raison d'être of the Missoni business: knits. "Everything is jacquard," Angela pointed out postshow. "There are no prints. It took a lot of research." And the Lurex, which is certain to be the most polarizing aspect of the collection? "I wanted shine," she said. "I wantedurbanand playful."After several seasons where Missoni had been spinning a dreamy yarn about modern hippie nomads, the exaggerated New Wave edge of these clothes was discombobulating (just as that edge was when it happened the first time around in the late '70s and early '80s, in fact). Angela has taken some unpredictable left turns in the past, but this one was the starkest. Unsurprisingly, she had her response ready. Change is a challenge for a business like Missoni, whose strengths have been so sanctified by the passage of time and the pressures of family that "safety first" becomes a point of principle. What we saw today was the statement of someone who'd grown tired of safety. "Sometimes I'm scared not to mix and match," she said. Hence, this feast of patterns and textures that could be thrown together every which way—and then layered with a Lurex sheath. Angela name-checked the artist Vanessa Beecroft as an influence on the body consciousness and the design group Memphis for inspiring some of the jacquards, but ultimately it was all about her and her desire to make a break. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
1 March 2015
Angela Missoni has done so well by the surfer nomad who presided over her past few collections that she wisely stuck with the idea of the traveling man for her Fall outing. Only this time he was on a train—the Trans-Siberian Railway to be precise. And right outside the window of that train was a world of wonders for Missoni to draw on.It made for a strong collection. In fact, it's clear by this point that Missoni does best when making clothes for a defined character. Here, that man had an appetite for the exotic. The best pieces in the collection combined Missoni's unique artisanship with the rich, deep colors and decorative elements of the clothes worn by the tribes a traveler might encounter as he rolled across Asia in a train. Like the fringed tunic in a cashmere plaid, or the long shawl-collared cardigan in a collage of intense reds and blues.Missoni said she'd been looking for more structure in the collection, so there were more suits and coats than before. But they were cut from a hybrid cloth, knittedandwoven, which gave them an appealing softness. And there were tiny secret details, like private pleasures: gold braiding sealing internal seams; subtle smatterings of floral embroidery. Footwear was similarly garnished, adding a seductive finishing touch.
18 January 2015
Angela Missoni was feeling fashion's current late '60s/early '70s vibe this season. The trend proved a good fit for her label: Missoni's lavish patterned knits always exude a bit of that rich hippie vibe, and this collection went at the look full force. It had the courage of its convictions: There were bell-bottoms, minis, knit blouses with glam ruffled collars. One of the interesting things about this lineup was its emphasis on knit pattern outside the usual Missoni ken—there was a token amount of the signature wave and zigzag, but most of the real estate in this collection was occupied by a vaguely animal-esque spot motif and a painterly abstract floral. Both prints came off very organically Missoni, but they also shifted the graphic sensibility a touch. Texture was another evolution this season: There were a number of appealing three-dimensional knits, ranging from a dense, curly mohair to a delicate lacelike crochet. The combination of print, pattern, and texture was maximal, to say the least. But that will suit loyal Missoni clients—and odd items, like a coral-colored mock-turtleneck sweater in a scallop knit, will find favor outside the fan base, as well.
15 December 2014
DuringVogueFashion's Night Out on Tuesday in Milan, Missoni was selling packets of temporary tattoos featuring family ancestor Captain James Misson, whose quest for independence led him to establish a pirate utopia in Madagascar in the late 17th century. Whatever the (undoubtedly hideous) reality, the notion was so saturatingly romantic that it made a perfect prelude to the collection Angela Missoni showed today. She sagely decided that her pre-collection had dealt with Spring, so this outing was going to be all aboutsummer—happiness, lightness, sun-drunk indolence. Airy volumes billowed like the sails of a pirate ship catching the wind.The show was an artful journey, from the opalescence of early morning to the blaze of sunset. But from first look to last, there was a languid, dishabille consistency. Men's shirts writ large in floral-print silk were casually draped over long, lacy skirts or floor-sweeping palazzo pants. There were sensational flaring coats in lace knit double-faced with nylon tulle—a knitwear breakthrough for Missoni, because it created a perfect paradox: substance with a gossamer lightness. The embroidered flowers only made the coats better. The simplest shapes—a smock, a shift—were elongated and energized by finely graded colors. The sheer prettiness of the clothes was amplified by Lucia Pieroni's makeup and Paul Hanlon's hair team, twisting scarves into turbans to add an irresistible Orientalist tinge to the show.Anyone craving weight in the lightness can rest assured there is summer black back in the showroom. Angela's daughters, Margherita and Teresa, were wearing it at the show today. And following last night's Prada triumph, soundtrackist Frédéric Sanchez deserves added kudos for uncovering a version of "Nothing Compares 2U"in Chinese.
19 September 2014
Angela Missoni caught a wave with her surfing boys for Fall. They inspired some very appealing clothing. And the wave clearly hasn't crested because she joined them again for Spring, following her surfers to North Africa, where Missoni met the Maghreb. It was a perfectly compatible culture clash. Berber stripes and Missoni chevrons were made for each other, and together, colored in shades of sea, sand, and souk, they were made for summer.Angela nipped a little from both cultures. Elongated, hooded pieces suggested djellabas, zipped vests borrowed from wet suits. The stars of the show were the Missoni knits, which seem capable of subtly co-opting every color and pattern the Missoni elves care to weave into them. (The nomad carpet designs were a striking addition this season.) They just get better. But what also stood out were the exotically printed silk shirts and the gingham suits and coats in a dégradé gingham knit. Tailoring has been a bit of an issue for Missoni in the past, erring on the overly languid side, but these pieces were firmer, more flattering. A shout-out to the woven suede slip-ons, too.
21 June 2014
Here's some Italian fashion trivia for you: Though you may have known that house founder Ottavio Missoni was an Olympic hurdler, what you probably didnotknow was that the first garments made by the brand were, in fact, tracksuits. This bears mentioning because you'll probably be seeing quite a lot of the tracksuits in the new Missoni collection, particularly the one in sparkly blue Lurex. That look had "Instagram hit" written all over it—the only question is, which pop star will wear it first?Not that this collection was particularly sport-themed. In fact, if anything, it erred in the other direction, introducing rather natty, tailored looks, like a kind of knit shirtdress with pleats or a knit leisure suit. The other standout element was the eye-popping color: Missoni looks tend to be colorful, of course, but the graphic juxtaposition of primary hues against black or white brought that quality into even sharper relief than usual. The artists Frank Stella, Bridget Riley, and Roy Lichtenstein were all name-checked as references, which seemed about right. The most eye-catching of all the patterns, though, was the animalier print on silk extracted from the Missoni archives. It had a cartoony upbeat-ness—like something Wilma Flintstone might wear, while the knit pieces with heavy-duty hooped fringe came off more authentically feral. In general, however, this collection had a cheerful mien and a loose-limbed, youthful sexiness. You could imagine more than a few of these pieces resonating with a new customer. Starting, naturally, with that tracksuit.
5 June 2014
Missoni's Spring collection floated away on an updraft of abstraction, but Fall saw a welcome return to earth. In her substantial, man-styled outerwear and Elmer Fudd hat, this woman was going hunting in the urban jungle. And Missoni guaranteed that she was doing it in knitwear. A good 80 percent of the collection was knitted, even when it looked like fabric. "We did a lot of research specifically into texture, to give the knits structure," said Angela Missoni. So wool was felted, boiled, double-faced, furred, and undoubtedly creatively abused in other ways to help it stand up to the city dweller's demand for utility and convenience. It is usually color that elevates banality at Missoni, but texture was equally significant here, in the way, for instance, that a superficially simple tank dress was intarsia'd from a dozen different ribs of knit.Missoni has been looking for a way into the future. This collection suggested one route. The clothes were definitely a nod to the urban rather than the artisan. If the overcoats, parkas, oversize vests, jogging and cargo pants harked back to the men's collection in January, the skinny-rib tops and casually wrapped skirts had a purely feminine ease. (Ali MacGraw at her most iconically fashionable? Not so, insisted Margherita Missoni, but nevertheless an appealing reference point.) And the color palette guaranteed the ease had oomph. Orange and yellow were the accents. Even when they weren't visible, they were lurking as linings.
22 February 2014
Angela Missoni may have found the perfect free spirit to define a new era for Missoni's menswear business: the surfer. And she was thinking not only of the riders who follow the big waves around the world, but also the surfers in cities like Sydney and Vancouver, where hanging ten before work or during your lunch hour is always an option, and the dream of escape is forever in the back of your mind.That, at least, was the conceptual rationale for latching on to surfers as a reference point for a company known for its knitwear. But, strange though it sounds, surfers and sheep go way back, or at least to the sixties, when Australian surfers discovered Ugg boots. People returning to the U.K. and the U.S. from surfing competitions in Australia took Uggs back home with them. The world hasn't been safe from sheepskin boots since.There was shearling on the Missoni runway today. A shawl-neck cardigan in a classic chevron weave was lined with it. So were the latest high-tops to come from the label's collaboration with All Star Chuck Taylor Converse. Both items lent themselves to Angela's free spirit. As did the big blankets patchworked from mohair and yak wool that enveloped some of the models. They were made for snuggling into while watching the setting of the sun after a day in the surf. And even the more "urban" pieces—the lightly tailored jackets and pants—were infected with the same shaggy languor.The shades of gray, blue, and red that dominated the collection echoed shoreline, sea, and sunset. It's the kind of elemental story Missoni has told dozens of times before. But its success here made a pointed contrast with the retelling in the womenswear collection for Spring, which was less successful because it diluted the brand's facility with color and pattern in favor of something more abstract. The moral of the story? You can't mess with DNA.
11 January 2014
Though "put a bird on it" has become shorthand for a kind of hipster-endorsed brand of twee, there are still creative, unsettling ways to put the avian into fashion. Angela Missoni's investigations into ornithology pointed the way. Birds made their first appearance on her runway for Spring, where, in abstract print, they flapped over dresses, lending a bit of Hitchcockian creepiness. For Pre-Fall, there was less menace, but still something otherworldly about the way she cut jacket sleeves above the elbow to resemble folded wings, and layered tiers of scallop-shaped petals, like the rounded edges of feathers, to make skirts, tops, and shrugs.Overall, the Pre-Fall collection found Angela more in her element than she was during the experiments of Spring. Shapes emphasized movement and swing: trapeze dresses and A-line coats; wide, swishy trousers; and long, pleated skirts. The brilliant colors that are a Missoni hallmark were dimmed a bit, to an array of blacks, whites, and grays, touched up here and there with coral and turquoise. But texture and pattern stepped into the void. A long, ombré shift in guipure lace worn over Missoni's famous space dye gave an effect that looked to be sparkling and dissolving at once. It was slightly surreal, which was fitting, given one of the collection's inspirations: the bird-woman paintings of the great German surrealist Max Ernst. Therein lies the Italia/Portlandia difference. Missoni's women aren't wearing birds, they're half bird themselves. With fur hoods atop their heads and fur-tufted gloves covering arms, it wasn't hard to believe.
10 December 2013
With the explosive crash of waves on rocks, the Missoni show today launched into a meditation on the elements—earth, air, fire, and water. Angela Missoni, head wrapped in a scarf, appropriately looked a bit like a voodoo queen backstage. But she was quick to point out that Missoni's elements were abstract rather than primal. More pop, like a Japanese comic. So the classic Missoni chevron was reinterpreted as waves or birds, the way you drew waves or birds when you were a kid. The family name was also reconfigured in a black-and-white, semi-African pattern that, laser-cut out of PVC and applied all over the place, was almost as artful an exercise in logomania as Alexander Wang's AW lace in New York.A subliminal strand of exotica trailed through the collection: a skirt tied like a sarong, a fitted dress draped like a sari, caftanlike volumes. There were hot-colored, loom-knit stripes that felt Mexican. But somewhere between the elongated pencil skirts with the deep kick pleat and the dégradé fringed pieces, Missoni edged into a land of confusion. Angela effectively evolved the family business once before, taking those primal genetic strands and literally reweaving them for now. Maybe it's time for her to do it again.
21 September 2013
"After sixty years, there is nothing new for Missoni," Angela Missoni noted after her show. "Even at the beginning, my father was always mixing fibers to create a special yarn." But that doesn't mean the house isn't always looking for—and finding—inspiration by researching alternatives to the time-honored Missoni traditions. Here, for instance, the use of knitting looms, rather than knitting machines, had allowed the opportunity to create unique fabrics, like the rubber-coated yarn made with outerwear expert Hancock of Scotland. Missoni inserted panels of it into waterproof coats.The house was stretching in other ways, too. This most Italian of labels looked to West Africa for the colors of its new collection: indigo-dyed blues from Benin, sand and earth tones from Mali, rain-forest greens from the Ivory Coast. The models crunched down a bamboo catwalk. Bamboo also patterned a nylon blouson and shorts. Knits were embroidered with shells, and there was a tribal echo in a shade of mud red that accented the collection. But, all that to the contrary, this was no Nat Geo moment for Missoni. "I always like an urban guy," said Angela, and she showed the clothes to suit.Actually, itwassuits that displayed the loom-knit technique to great effect. Softly tailored, intensely toned, or subtly dégradé, they highlighted the most successful example to date of Angela's efforts to urbanize the artisanal for the Missoni male. That said, the killer piece—a cardigan in a patchwork of blue knits—cleaved pretty close to family tradition.
22 June 2013
In the grand(ish) tradition of Resort, Missoni dreamed of the Riviera: great French actresses like Jeanne Moreau and Brigitte Bardot sunning themselves in Saint-Tropez. This was a collection as frothy as the seashore. The dominant motif was pleating—tiers of accordion pleats, often layered, with frills between. Tropical flowers made their appearance, too, in crop tops and matching wraps and even a little moto jacket. Missoni has always been good about giving reason upon reason to throw on knits, even in the heat of Resort. Here, there were lightweight matching layers of sundresses and robe coats, jackets and tops. The ombre of Missoni's colors gave a prismatic gorgeousness to the lot.
11 June 2013
Given the difficult circumstances in which it was created, it's small wonder that the new Missoni collection wanted to take refuge under the covers and make the world go away. The clothes retreated into the sanctuary of the boudoir, with flowing, languid lines that echoed pajamas and bathrobes, or huge, schmoodgy blanket wraps that suggested consummate coziness, even in a shawl-collared, tuxedo-styled version.But there was another, tougher voice in the collection: fishnet tights and boots, metallic jacquards in simple sixties-styled shifts or elongated tubes, liquid leathers, and sinuous jerseys with sheer panels that randomly revealed bits of the body. Missoni's classic techniques were radically reconfigured with bold new techno-dégradé inflections in acid colors.The two impulses—cocooning and confrontation—were tricky bedfellows. Missoni's current challenge is clearly to reconcile them.
23 February 2013
The family still waits for news of Vittorio Missoni, whose plane has been missing off the coast of Venezuela for ten days now, but the Missoni show went ahead today and, in the kind of ironic twist that is inevitable in such circumstances, it consolidated the company's progress in widening its frame of reference beyond the knits that are its iconic spine. Media reports have widely credited Vittorio, with sister Angela, as being the driving forces behind Missoni's evolution into a more contemporary global brand. It was clear here in an emphasis on tailoring, with Missoni's emblematic chevrons woven small on fine looms for suits and coats. The other key element in the collection was trimly fitting cardigans, a twenty-first-century solution to smart-casual situations.At the same time, it was gratifying to see all knit's possibilities explored, with chunkier options like a knit blazer with a rougher weave, or the handful of linen knits at the end of the show with florid jumbo-size Missoni patterns on their backs. Their graphic color scheme was as bold as the show got. Otherwise, the color palette was inspired by American travels: Alaska, Pacific Northwest, Grand Canyon, the blue of ocean, the green of forest, the sandy striations of the desert. And denim, the result of a collaboration with Jean Machine. The strategic alliance with Converse also ticked up. Now it's the Jack Purcell that's been given a tone-on-tone transformation.This year is Missoni's 60th anniversary. It will now be shadowed by Vittorio's fate. The lengthy ovation at the end of today's show suggested there were plenty of people who felt that celebrating the success of the changes he helped initiate was the best way to honor Vittorio himself.
12 January 2013
Every so often, you encounter a collection that comes off like a train of thought cut off mid-journey. The Missoni collection presented today was one of those. Two of its key themes—texture and transparency—had been carried over from Spring, and you could pretty much see Angela Missoni's mind whirring as she reworked those ideas for cold-weather clothes. (The same logic applied to another holdover from Spring, a certain intergalactic vibe that ebbed as the palette deepened.)On the other hand, Missoni seemed to be looking ahead, toward next season, as she introduced menswear elements and unlikely-for-Missoni items such as leather jackets and shorts into her pre-fall lineup. In general, the strongest pieces were the ones that saw the designer playing with texture. There were tonal garments that incorporated various fabrications and weaves, such as a seemingly basic black coat, and garments that added a dimensional component to collage, such as a gray jacket with fuzzy printed sleeves and a cashmere herringbone lining. Elsewhere, this season's transparencies were most successful when subtle—Missoni developed a new lace for the brand and used it head-to-toe in several looks, but it worked best when layered onto a bright turquoise vest in felt, say, or when it winked a bit of upper thigh through a fitted, flared cocktail dress. The menswear elements and leathers, meanwhile, wanted a bit more development. Which they'll probably have received come next season.
12 December 2012
There are odd moments when Angela Missoni takes a leap of faith that flummoxes her audience, and it usually involves something she's done to Missoni's inviolable knitwear legacy. This time around, for a while at least, she turned her back on the colorful palette that is the company chromosome. The first looks were all white. The show eventually embraced color, then returned at the end to the monochrome of all black. But for Angela, this seemingly radical gesture was simply an embrace of tradition. Missoni's first magazine cover was for FrenchEllein 1966 with an all-white outfit. Now, with the label's 60th anniversary on the horizon in 2013, the designer wanted to remind everyone that "Missoni is fashion."Messing with color wasn't Angela's only iconoclastic move. Missoni knits and layers come to mind. Here, the layers had been simplified, even stripped away. Or, at least, they'd been replaced by a veil of organza. The raschel knit that is a Missoni signature was patchworked and multi-textured, sometimes with sequins and crystals, under a filmy shroud. It was a nice way to add mystery to something that is familiar to the point of cliché. Once or twice, the organza was printed with the pattern of the knit underneath and—even more—patched with paillettes in the same print. Angela loved 3-D movies as a child, and that's the effect she was after here.Not everything made sense, least of all a press-release scenario that tried to recast the Missoni girl as some sort of intergalactic emissary. The tailoring may have been an effort to introduce a new structure and definition, but it looked leaden beside the diaphanous sweep of Jourdan Dunn's organza veil. And there's still the issue of how the dyed-in-the-colored-wool Missoni customer will take to monochrome. Even so, the black trapeze dress worn by Julia Nobis to close the show clearly had a story to tell. That's only right. After 60 years, so does Missoni.
22 September 2012
The Missoni catwalk was laid out with chevrons of sand. When the models walked through them, they stirred up glittering shards of what looked like green glass. It was a striking visual counterpoint to clothes that told the story of young explorers in exotic and unpredictable environments. Given the soundtrack, the desert boots, and the shades of sand, sea, and sunset, North Africa might have seemed the obvious destination, but Angela Missoni said it was Southeast Asia that inspired the crystal embroideries and the jacquards.Given that its rep rests on the outer limits of knitwear, the hit that Missoni has scored with its tailoring meant that the suit made its presence felt in this collection. Those reminders of city life were softened and subverted with subtle color, but it was still the airy, sun-faded souvenirs of life on the road that truly captured the imagination. You sometimes get the feeling that Angela piles things on just for the sake of proving to you how light a knit can be. A cardigan, a waistcoat, a polo sat together like they were so much gauze.
24 June 2012
Though the natural world inspired Angela Missoni for Fall, by Resort time, she'd shaken off the wild and turned her attention to man-made craft. She was looking at Chinese porcelain and British pottery, she explained, for delicate brushstroke motifs picked out in embroidery on knits, and the somewhat less delicate intarsias that looked like smashed fragments pieced back together. An emphasis on art ran throughout: The usual Missoni zigzag was accompanied by painterly prints on silk tops, jackets, and coats, and the ombré effects suggested paint being dragged down canvas. The sinuous curves of pottery were reflected, too, in more womanly shapes, some of which pinched in at the waist and flared around the hips.
11 June 2012
Angela Missoni's collaboration with Nature, the greatest designer of all, worked out well for the family business today. The backstory was a girl who wants to lose herself in the wild but is stuck living in the city. By applying Missoni's techniques to nature's textures, Angela wove an urban wardrobe out of wood, stone, fur, tree bark, and mica-sparkled minerals. The union made perfect organic sense, even if the show itself, with its drawn-out staging, could have benefited from some judicious man-made editing.Befitting the inspiration, the collection was full of evocative details. One sinuous sheath was infested with beading that looked like pine needles. Another had a copper-colored design creeping across it, like a mineral seam running through soil. A dress was over-embroidered to look like wood grain, but it could just as easily have been the patterning produced over years by decaying leaves on a forest floor. The dégradé stripes on a shirtdress suggested sedimentation, another pattern evoked spreading mold. One of the most dramatic effects had a typical Missoni multicolored knit overwhelmed by creeping gray, like smoke spreading across a dawn sky.A subtext to the story was protection. According to Angela, the Missoni girl needed to keep her heart warm, so there were stoles that tightly wrapped shoulders, as well as big fur collars. And Missoni has discovered needle-punching, which meant knits and lace were hybridized with animal skins to produce new effects. For some time, Missoni's creative energy has been directed toward reconceptualizing the label's signatures, which had become familiar to the point of cliché. This collection was a genuine push in a different direction. Still, there are so many people who are in love with easeful cliché that an ambivalent response is to be expected.
25 February 2012
Even before today's show began, Angela Missoni could count one major coup. For the first time in their many years together, her beau, Bruno Ragazzi, was stepping out in a Missoni blazer, rather than the classic Caraceni he usually favors. Ragazzi is the kind of sharp-dressed man you'd picture with an immaculatewardrobeof clothing and accessories, as opposed to your averageclosetstuffed with everyday schmatta. And it's the wardrobe rather than the closet that Angela is targeting with her men's collections, adding and refining until the Missoni man need look nowhere else for his clothes. Well, that would be the ideal, at least. For Fall, there was more of the emphasis on the classic, particularly traditional English clothing, that we've seen in Milan this week—but obviously given a Missoni spin. So a herringbone parka was paneled across the back with knit. A double-breasted suit and a harrington jacket were as soft-shouldered as cardigans. And would a Cornish fisherman even recognize the Milanese mutation of his sweater?In the end, the collection was, as usual, about Missoni's mastery of its medium. There was a time not so long ago when knits piled on top of each other added tons of chunk, but now a coat sits over a jacket, cardigan, and shirt in a lushly layered collage of pattern and color without the merest hint of bulk. It's a feat, all right. It gets finer by the season. And now even Bruno's on board.
14 January 2012
Exuberance has long been the Missoni MO. Pre-fall isn't as up-all-night-dancing-wild as Angela Missoni's Spring collection was, but when the weather turns especially frosty next year, fans of the brand will be happy she didn't rein in her penchant for layers. With its focus on outerwear, the house's latest outing is particularly cozy. Among the highlights: a long poncho in a purple and gray space-dye knit and a sleeveless vest with beaver and fox chevroned fur trim, as well as the oversize coats in a furry knit that the family is calling pelliccia. Underneath all the outerwear were dresses with a more body-conscious fit than we've seen in a while chez Missoni; the form-fitting silhouettes for the most part came courtesy of a puckered stretch leather. The waist was a focal point. Margherita, who's responsible for the house's accessories, is a big believer in belts, the wider the better.The real news here, though, was the eveningwear. We don't often see true formal dresses at Missoni, but there was a stunner on the racks today in the form of a sleeveless sunflower yellow column in a macro floral print with a densely sequined bodice.
19 December 2011
Missoni is specializing in surprises at the moment. First, there was last Spring's collection. It polarized the critics, mesmerized the public when it hit the stores. Then there was the collaboration with Target, where a week's worth of pop-up shop sold out in a day during New York fashion week. Now there's this Spring's show, which, in its own way, was as startling as the one a year ago that marked a definitive shift in the Missoni ether. In other words, it will divide opinion.Angela Missoni has earned herself the luxury of a little experimentation. It's in the family's design genes, after all. She spent the summer in Sardinia watching her daughters arriving home at dawn after a night out dancing, and she got thinking about the kind of clothes that best suited such a situation: something spontaneous, improvised, mobile. And out of that came a collection that dipped and swooped in ruffled tiers, fringed here, patched there, asymmetrical to a dizzy fault, but always in motion.Maybe that's why it was less classic Missoni than an animal spirit that prevailed in the collection. Lots of zebra, for one thing. It manifested itself in bias-cut ruffles; it snuck under an openwork knit dress. If this was Angela trying to convey the beast within, she captured it in spades.
24 September 2011
There is absolutely no one else in fashion who can lay claim to the authority of Angela Missoni's connection to next year's Olympic Games in London. Her parents, Tai and Rosita, first met under the statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circus when they were both attending the last London Olympics in 1948. Tai was not only a member of the Italian team, he was also responsible for its uniform, a peacock blue jersey tracksuit that zipped rather than buttoned. That historic garment was not only the first of its kind, it was also the foundation stone of the Missoni business. And today, it served the same function for the new collection.Tai's tracksuit was reconfigured as the New Suit, a lightly structured jacket and pant with an athletic ease. The first to appear was in an inky floral jacquard with an almost lacelike weave. Although it was a supposed to be a contemporary revisioning of Tai's original from half a century ago, it established a retro mood that persisted throughout the show—as though the athletes we were reflecting on were more the genteelChariots of Firegeneration than the lean, mean, record-shattering machines of today. These modelsdidlook lean in their narrow, knee-length shorts and skinny trousers. And the knits, light enough to layer a cardigan over a waistcoat over a tee, had a natural body-consciousness. But as a statement about athleticism, it had more to do with, at most, gentlemanly jogging. You'd scarcely break a sweat in the linen pants with the drawstring ankle. Even the color scheme was unflaggingly polite: the lingering impression was navy or muted neutral, with the odd welcome streak of orange, red, or turquoise. And the fact that the suit jacket buttoned rather than zipped took on an unanticipated significance because it reversed Tai's innovation. The exception was the latest manifestation of Missoni's strategic alliance with Converse: a sensational trainer that was clearly geared for high performance. Otherwise, it was precisely the out-of-time quality that gave the collection its appeal. Retro the mood may have been, but it was romantic, too, fitting for a business that was born under Eros.
18 June 2011
Grunge be gone. Missoni loved the nineties for Fall, but they're throwing it back further for Resort, embracing a softer silhouette that evokes the 1920's. This season's girl is spending her vacation seaside, naturally enough, and apparently the ocean breeze was blowing strong in the design studio. The beach motif played out quite literally on a dramatic violet gown that had a sheer skirt loaded with conch shells, sequins, and puckered chiffon resembling coral reef. (The house's own Margherita Missoni said it was her favorite piece in the collection.) Another striking dress had a tie-dye effect and was trimmed with padded strips of braided silk. Other looks here were more straightforward. The signature space-dyed raschel knit technique showed up everywhere, but was coolest this time around on a pair of psychedelic trousers and paper bag-waisted walking shorts—both of which will blend seamlessly into the Missoni archives.
2 June 2011
If last season's tribal excursion felt like a provocative schism in the Missoni saga, this new collection scattered the sweet balm of fairy dust. Its candy-colored pastel prettiness seemed to be the stuff of Cinderella's dreams. "It's a fairy tale," said Margherita Missoni, granddaughter of the house's founders, as she walked through the racks of clothes before the show. But alternately, you could flip the cloud-cuckoo-land binoculars and look through a glass darkly, at which point a whole other, rather more interesting story emerged.It's always been Margherita who appeared to be designated heiress apparent of the family style legacy. She's helped her mother Angela, the line's designer, nudge it to a more contemporary place. This season, however, Angela was bigging up her younger daughter Teresa, claiming it was her dress sense that influenced the proportions of the collection. And, armed with that update, it was indeed easy to see Teresa's nonchalance in the sweeping skirts, the oversize tops, the man's jacket thrown casually over the whole lot.Every fairy tale has a kernel of not-quite-rightness, and that was evident here in the menswear elements: the raw-seamed redingotes, the broken plaids, the pleated trousers as big as Oxford bags, and even the tweedy bouclé shorts suit. They provided a necessary ballast for the pink, pistachio, lilac, and baby blue. Even without that, though, there was a sense of the skewed. It was partly the size of the clothes. "As Japanese as Missoni can go," said Margherita. It was also the sun-bleached quality: TheLadies of the Canyonatmosphere was on a similar wavelength to Rodarte's Great Plains collection this season.Artist Tiana Langdon contributed naïve drawings that were either printed or embroidered on long dresses. Adding to the languid, stoned vibe was the Frederic Sanchez soundtrack, featuring "Sweet Jane" by the Cowboy Junkies. That song was used inNatural Born Killers, and its star Juliette Lewis was a reference for Lucia Pieroni's makeup.OK, so there was a circle squared. But there was more: full-length python coats (anyone who has ever chased Ossie Clark's snakeskin through vintage shops will be in heaven) matched to python bike boots; a raschel knit lace jacket and skirt dissolving into clouds of feathers; pastel fur sewn onto organza to create a fluffy little skirt…. There was something compulsively irresistible in a story that was built on such decadent ephemera.
26 February 2011
Missoni's Spring collection was as "out there" as the label gets. Angela Missoni reined it in and then some for pre-fall—there were no hemlines stitched with phrases like "shaking all over," noFlying Nunhats. But the new lineup hardly lacks for exuberance, and that goes not just for the color palette, which is heavy on blues, reds, and neutrals, but also for the fearless way patterns were mixed and matched. Knit turtlenecks formed the foundation of looks; from there the designer might add a mod, sleeveless shift with a Lurex-shot paneled hem, or a V-neck flame-stitch sweater and a macro Prince of Wales check peacoat and matching miniskirt. Angela's oldest daughter Margherita has been heading up the accessories lately, and they added a modern edge to the vaguely sixties-ish silhouettes. Metal chain necklaces woven with colorful thread keyed into the tribal trend we've been seeing on-and-off for several seasons. No doubt they'll appeal to fans of the brand, but they could also attract a whole new kind of customer—one who doesn't know a flame stitch from a zigzag.
20 January 2011
Missoni's Spring women's show was so fearlessly iconoclastic that it sparked tremulous anticipation of the men's collection that would follow. Classic or chaotic? That was the question. But Margherita Missoni, probable heiress to the family heritage, made a clear case for a variant on the former. She insisted she had no interest in seeing her men in some kind of kooky knitwear meltdown, which may account for the somber, almost downbeat mood of the collection that was shown today.The emphasis was squarely on the artisanal weaves that made the family fortune, but the twenty-first century inserted itself in the technology that guaranteed that however many layers there were, there would be no bulk. So a cardigan sat comfortably over a quilted waistcoat that sat comfortably over a woven shirt. Masterful.The palette emphasized reflective shades of earth, fog, and heath. There were floppy, perforated suede hats that would be perfect for Devendra Banhart, who's been cruising around Milan this week. He would surely respond favorably to the intrinsic languor of knitwear, inherent in this collection's union of track pants and trousers, or the droop of a pantsuit. But wait… Did we dismiss the iconoclasm too fast? A knit pantsuit? For men? That might be more Minnelli than even Banhart could bear.
15 January 2011
"It's a trip," Angela Missoni declared, as she breezed through a backstage area choked with acid colors and tribal shapes. Here was a new Missoni, a slightly psychedelic, multiculti trawl across the surface of the globe: Japan, Jamaica, Mexico, Africa, Vietnam…everywhere and nowhere. Angela's daughter Margherita has been making her presence felt in the family business, and this time it showed in a subtext that wove snippets of rap and funk lyrics across the collection. "Shake your rump," "Let your backbone slip," and "Get up off that thing" were used as a running Jenny Holzer-like visual element in multi-striped tops and jackets. Jourdan Dunn sported a spectacular sequined cutout coat where the words had become just another element in a wild collage.While Margherita was texting friends for inspiration, Angela was imagining a blank canvas of the most geometric shapes—a square, a triangle, a circle—on which to project the new story. In the show, that translated into an almost two-dimensional flatness. Smocks, tunics, caftans, and kimonos, many of them slit down the side, were like paper-doll clothes (or Leon Bakst's costumes for the Ballets Russes). And the fabrics had a strikingly dry hand to match. It made for an audacious revamp of a line that is famous for sinuous fluidity. The 2-D feel was, however, given some 3-D juice, because every surface was built up with layering, pleating, fringing, or embellishments, like sequins, beads, tufts of stuff.It was tempting to see the show as a watershed moment for Missoni. And, like all such significant junctures, it won't be an easy one for the house. But there was a seductive energy and verve to the clothes themselves that suggested this is the right—maybe the only—trip for Missoni to take.
25 September 2010
Angela Missoni compared the many layers of her new menswear collection to "layers of memories, of souvenirs." The look was built around a peasant shirt, elevated by Missoni's patchwork, stripes, or plaid into a rustic heritage piece, like an idealized memory of a more artisanal era.But by the time that humble smock had been underlaid with a long-sleeved T-shirt in a contrasting stripe, and then layered up with a sweater in the label's signature zigzag, a jacket in a jacquard linen, and a nylon parka (the acid green one was a zinger), it was clear that something entirely different was going on. Add a voluminous pair of linen combat shorts and some tricolored deck shoes into the mix, and the result looked more like a kind of dressy, elongated grunge.An attempt to revitalize Missoni's signature with new proportions? The designer didn't describe it that way, talking instead about bringing refinement to informal clothes and acknowledging the experimental nature of the collection. If this one literally stretched things out a little too far, you could still feel the designer testing ideas—like a new acidity in the color palette and a new lightness with patchworking—for next time. And that's what keeps Missoni vital.
17 June 2010
Having cycled through all manner of subcultures—tribal warriors for Fall, Ibiza ravers before that, "military-tech mermaids" last Resort—Angela Missoni has wound her way to the Mods. Twiggy, in particular, seemed the guiding spirit of her new Resort collection (no accident that its model, Ilvie Wittek, is something of a long-haired ringer). There was a whisper of Fall's tribal beat in the African-inspired neck wraps, but the warm, earth-toned palettes of recent outings are gone. In their place are rainbow hues (brilliant orange, sea foam green, red, and purple), tonal black and white, and gleaming, nickel-sized snaps, to bring the sixties swing. (Interesting to note, the late sixties were when Angela's parents first made their own big splash with the label.) Jumping from military to madcap over the course of a year is quite a leap—and it'll take a bold spirit to wear some of the brighter full-body looks—but Angela's ace in the hole is the family's famous zigzag knit: instantly recognizable, and there to ground the collection.
13 June 2010
Missoni's latest ad campaign focuses on the family. And designer Angela took a tribe of third-generation Missonis down the catwalk with her today. It was as if she was emphasizing the emotional connection you can make with fashion (Dolce & Gabbana did the same thing at their show). That's also another way of emphasizing the value of the "Made in Italy" marque. Clever.The show itself was rooted in a more universal tribal spirit. It found common ground among the Celts, the Masai, punks, the kids at Burning Man…clearly a new turn of events for Missoni, but it made sense on the catwalk. A wrap skirt in patchworked Missoni knit could almost be a tartan kilt, especially given the big pins that literally held the collection together. And a big, slouchy blanket coat, also clasped with a pin, could be a Masai warrior's wrap. In fact, the whole idea of "could be" was Angela's impetus. Almost everything we were looking at had the potential to be something else. So all the knit shifts, tent dresses, and crop tops that were shown zipped open up the back were actually the wrong way around. And skirts could be pulled up or down, tops extended or shrunk.Reversals and reconfigurations are the kind of notions that people more routinely get to grips with on their own (in a changing room, perhaps), which means this collection's user-friendliness was perhaps not as evident on the catwalk as it could have been. There was gorgeous outerwear—a fur-trimmed knit parka, for instance, layered over a skirt and pants (very hauteBraveheart)—but much of it was offered with nothing more than clunky black-trimmed bras or bandeaus. Still, that's for show, and ultimately it scarcely distracted from the allure of a duffel-cape hybrid or an open-weave poncho that swirled like Macbeth's cloak.To return to that family connection: Angela's daughter Margherita Maccapani Missoni carved a niche for herself in the business today with her first accessories collection: bracelets and neck pieces in chromed metal that held the knit tight. They had a techno-tribal edge that seemed entirely appropriate.
27 February 2010
Revisiting the formula that made successes of her last two runway shows, Angela Missoni layered on the knits for pre-fall. In February, the look was Nanook of the North; at the Spring show in September, it was rave girls on an Ibiza beach. Here, the effect was still bohemian but decidedly more urbane. Yes, there might be five, six, or seven components to an outfit, but this time around at least one of them is likely to be a smart oversize trench or a softly structured knit boyfriend blazer. Multitasking pieces like ribbed leggings with extra-wide waistbands—wear it up and it's a strapless jumpsuit, down and it's a miniskirt—added to the real-world appeal. But perhaps the collection's most persuasive selling point will be its gorgeous palette of warm honey tones with hints of versatile, wear-with-anything black.
17 December 2009
The hip-hop nomads on Missoni's Fall runway have landed at an Ibiza rave for Spring. They've traded in their piles of mohair and cashmere for loose-mesh, three-dimensional, and openwork knits. Picture a bandeau or two stretching across the bust of a tube dress worn underneath a long, breezy duster coat, or a cardigan cropped right below the armholes as the finishing touch for a bodysuit and miniskirt with a twisting, knotted waistband. There were a few dozen variations on this theme. For evening, Missoni simply added a layer of sparkle: A fishnet tank dress strung with paillettes was pulled on over a slip; a one-shoulder dress covered with iridescent plastic shells went over a racerback tank. Day or night, the looks were accessorized with whistles on silver chains, bracelets gripping each bicep, and low-heel sandals with woven souvenir ankle bracelets for straps.Backstage, Angela Missoni explained that she thinks fashion moves too fast, and that it was her intention to follow closely on what she did for Fall. As far as that goes, she succeeded, but somehow the effect wasn't the same. The color palette wasn't quite as seductive as those wintery sweaters, and the layers, despite the way they were designed to cling, didn't do enough to flatter the models' figures. Whether it was island ravers who inspired her, or nouvelle Isadora Duncans as her show notes had it, this conclusion lingered: When it comes to dancing and summertime, a sense of lightness is key.
26 September 2009
At Missoni, Fall's clever, engaging focus on layering was carried over to Resort, albeit to heavier effect. Perhaps this was the result of designing for "military-tech mermaids," as the show notes put it. Still, should mere mortals pick this collection apart, they will find a small arsenal of keepers: space-dyed cargo skirts, a khaki coat with drawstring details at the waist and sleeves, and lots of mesh-y textures. New for Resort was an open honeycomb knit that lent the collection some necessary lightness.
16 June 2009
Like other designers this season, Angela Missoni has been thinking hard about her brand's roots. In the case offamigliaMissoni, of course, that means knitwear. A video of a working loom played on a giant screen behind the runway, but the designer hardly needed digital assistance to underscore her message. It was plain for all to see in the way she piled on the knits. Take the opening look: We counted a waistcoat, a boxy man's jacket, a mohair cardigan scarf, a slipdress, a miniskirt, a hooded scarf, and legwarmers. The multilayered hippie-meets-hip-hop look will be tricky to pull off anywhere south of the polar ice cap (photo shoots excepted), but taken in smaller doses, these are the kind of cozy, feel-good clothes that actually have a chance of selling in the new economy. The luminous color palette—pearly pink, peach, and gold lamé punched up with cerulean blue—certainly helped in that department.Who wouldn't want to hunker down in one of Missoni's clever cardigan scarves? The models wore them loose, with the ends nearly trailing along the floor; wound around your neck, they'd make a coat redundant. And because even—or perhaps especially—in dire times a girl needs to go out now and then, Missoni added delicate, spiderweb-y dresses (shades of Rodarte) to the mix. Pair them with a slip and you'd have a sweet, unexpected party look. As if to prove the point, Angela's daughter Margherita wore one sitting in the front row.
25 February 2009
Mining the house archives, Angela Missoni zeroed in on—what else?—knitwear, and there wasn't a simple twinset in the bunch. Instead, she whipped the signature flames and zigzags into crisscross dresses topping fine-gauge turtlenecks; matching sweaters and minis; and enough ponchos to outfit half of Argentina—all worn with matching leggings. The collection's prints followed a more-is-more ethos as well, alternately evoking the Art Deco era or sixties pop. For evening, the designer added fringe and a little bit of sparkle. The cumulative effect was dizzying, but cozy nonetheless.
21 December 2008
For the best of Missoni, scroll to the end. There, for evening, were examples of the exceptional things this house can tease out of a knitting machine: a tissue-fine, fan-pleated Lurex halter gown in an almost colorless beige; a glinting semi-sheer skirt under a belted knit blazer. Those were the high points of a show in which Angela Missoni continued to steer the family business along the grown-up course she's been charting for the past couple of seasons.The general drift of the main body of the collection was a merging of vaguely Japanese-influenced shapes (kimono sleeves, obi belts) with surface patterns derived from Italian futurist art, worked in a palette of beige, muted coral, cocoa, and absinthe. Beneath that, Missoni seemed to be setting herself the task of figuring out how jumpsuits and big, drop-crotch pants can make sense for regular public consumption. Her answer was all-in-ones ending in short, divided skorts on the one hand, and a pair of voluminous dark green taffeta evening skirt-cum-pants on the other. On the cute—and very recognizably Missoni—side, there was a zigzag raschel knit swimsuit, along with plenty of easy caftan-style cover-ups. These, like the evening dresses, clicked more easily into the picture of long summer leisure days that gives this house its identity.
21 September 2008
If lumpen heaviness was a critique that was leveled at the last Missoni men's collection, then Angela Missoni clearly sucked it up and did what she had to. Last time around, she was talking about finding inspiration in her boyfriend Bruno Ragazzi's tailor-made clothing. This time, he was on hand for the show, just off his boat on Lake Como, tanned, open-necked, the aspirational embodiment of the collection's summery ease. The show notes talked about Alain Delon and Saint-Tropez, but all that really means is male glamour and a bang-up holiday, and both of those notions were communicated in clothes that were sensuous, colorful, and uncomplicated. Think a loose-weave knit cardigan over a floral-print shirt. Think cutoff denims. Hell, think suits with sandals. The palette covered sand, sea, and a little green from beachside plant life. But the most encouraging news was the way in which the weight of Missoni tradition translated into something as light as a woven hooded top, or as subtle as the trim on the lapels and pockets of a gray linen suit.
20 June 2008
Some collections just lend themselves naturally to the classic idea of Resort—and Missoni is certainly one. Angela Missoni didn't avoid sensible daywear—there were boxy, houndstooth-weave coats and shift dresses, crisscrossed with strips of floral silk, as well as crisp trousers paired with tunic knits. But mostly it was a collection that made you want to pack a suitcase with, say, a floral-print tunic dress, scads of iconic zigzag knits, and a beautifully draped, color-block gown that will only improve when it acquires a sand-crusted hem.
16 June 2008
Missoni laid on a quietly intimate welcome to the opening of a chilly Milan fashion week—a smaller, cozier venue, a glass of spumante, a bite to eat beforehand. That set a civilized tone that extended to the clothes, which struck a grown-up note in enveloping graphic outerwear, muted colors, double-faced cashmere, flannel, mink, and crocodile clutches.It's certainly a refocusing of the brand's former something-for-everyone mélanges of items, and, reading between the inverted-trapeze ponchos and tweed-and-fur dresses, perhaps a deliberate effort to appeal to a luxury customer who won't be as affected by recession as an impulsive young dresser with a magpie eye for cute pieces. There were some beautiful things, notably a silk tulle mushroom-colored dress with a puffy collar that rose up around Lily Donaldson's face like a flower, and great metal wire and stone-studded belts and neckpieces. Still, the house expertise in knits was kept to a minimum in the flash of a raschel flame-knit coat lining and a matching dress, or a moss-stitch pullover paired with tailored pants. At a moment when the possibilities of knitwear are inspiring young designers, and sweater dressing is such a huge trend, the conservative-chic direction somehow submerged the sense that Missoni is a leading light in that field.
16 February 2008
In the closing years of the last century, Angela Missoni had a stab at her family's menswear. Then she went off to revivify—with some success—the womenswear that bears the Missoni label. But she always carried a torch for The Guy—and now she has a chance to do it all again. What better place to start than with the men who mean most to her, her father Tai and her longtime partner Bruno Ragazzi? From her father, Angela plucked the casual bohemian luxe of Missoni's signature knitwear. Her visits with Bruno to his tailor inspired her attention to bespoke detailing. Put the two together and you should by rights have a feast of masculine options, "a full wardrobe," as Angela herself defined her intention backstage. And there was indeed an enormous selection in the clothes that were shown on Missoni's fall catwalk. The big problem was that they were all shown at once, layer upon layer, which were all then relentlessly tucked into tailored trousers. "Does my butt look big in this?" Yes, as a matter of fact.And yet, pluck it all apart and there were the striking ice-creamy colors, the complex knits, the sensual softness that has made Missoni a distinctive addendum to the indolently stylish man's closet, lo, these many years. And, if the multi-versioned soundtrack of "I Put a Spell on You" seemed a little too much like wishful thinking for now, a double-breasted gab jacket with a strap (which could hold your newspaper—you do still read, right?) and a sixties-sharp midnight-blue tux were the kind of items that suggested Angela may eventually be able to work the same kind of voodoo here as she did with Missoni's womenswear.
11 January 2008
Inspired by the mod sixties and everyone's favorite TV career woman, Mary Tyler Moore, Angela Missoni's pre-fall collection swung with A-line color-blocked dresses, space-dyed knits, and plaid skirtsuits that were spared from looking vintage by their boxy, modern cuts. An ocher shearling jacket paired with a thigh-high mini and elbow-length gloves was a standout. And for the evening news? Floor-length Lurex lace gowns and luscious silver fox chubbies.
13 December 2007
It's no heavy criticism to say that Missoni isn't a stadium-filling collection: It's a friendly-scale line of highly identifiable knits and prints that's been enjoying an extended second life since young girls got into the label's dresses. Missoni has a bit of this and a bit of that: short, long, zigzags, flowers, seventies-ish boho mirror embroidery, flowy eveningwear. All of it has a place in a sunny holiday setting, and just about any piece would make a girl stand out at a relaxed party on a summer evening. That would be particularly true of some of the strapless flowered silks on today's runway, or the quietly sexy printed scarf-dresses, or—for a more high-impact occasion—the golden sequined pieces bejeweled like something out of a Klimt painting. It's just that, to amplify the aura of specialness and individuality these clothes can possess, Missoni would do better to devise a more intimate way of showing them, rather than in a cavernous old-style Italian industry venue with raked seating, as they do. Which brings us back to the original observation.
24 September 2007
With his last menswear collection for the family label, Luca Missoni made a splash as big as David Hockney's famous painting. Missoni used every shade of blue—navy, turquoise, aqua, azure—to evoke summer's water-based pursuits. The slicked-back hair of the models suggested they'd just clambered out of the sea or the swimming pool, but Missoni also offered a fisherman's vest, and a cagoule suitable for yachting. And when he wasn't in a blue mood, he was showing the family's signature jacquards in sunshine yellow or sunset pink. Paired with white trousers and satin-patched sneakers, they represented a timeless, cheerful, and appealingly quirky way to dress for the season. Other parts of the collection demonstrated a welcome dose of edge. A black-and-white twinset in Missoni's signature chevron pattern cried out for Alain Delon as the charming sociopath Ripley inPlein Soleilto do it full justice. The sixties-ish trilby hat only compounded the impression.
22 June 2007
In a season when the forties and the seventies are a rising influence, Missoni incorporated them both. It's hardly a novelty to tie the decades together, though, because "the forties" were the rediscovery of the early seventies—which just so happens to be the time when the Missonis were first knitting together their family business. The trouble is, so many are stomping their platforms on this well-trodden era this season that it's shown there's a fine line—no, a chasm—between doing it badly and making it seem like not such a lame idea after all.Angela Missoni came out on the right side of the line, even if she did use the familiar devices of Rita Hayworth's hair, Marlene Dietrich's tip-tilted hat, and the inevitable Bowie sound track. But what's the distinction between Missoni's cape-sleeved printed dresses, big-shouldered furs, balloon sleeves, tailored flares, Deco jerseys and everyone else's? It's largely a deft wielding of the hard-to-handle dusty seventies palette. Exact choices of maroon, brown, beige, mustard, dusty pink, and petrol blue marked Missoni best-in-class in Milan. Even irregularly pieced triangular Deco patchworks (fully murdered in several collections elsewhere) turned into a double-knit patchwork dress and a shorter shell version that actually looked likable—both were helped immeasurably by sexy gathers shaping the bustline. When Missoni keeps the confidence of her feminine instincts like that, things go well. What she might learn is not to be panicked by conflicting trend news. The demerit in this show was the unstoppable short circle skirt that kept popping up, which seemed not just out of character with the collection, but like a panic reaction to the Azzedine Alaïa trend that's currently doing the rounds.
22 February 2007
Family tradition dictates the Missonis take to the mountains for their winter holiday. This year, Luca Missoni was actually in Tanzania (and cloud cover meant he never even saw the snow on Mount Kilimanjaro), but the collection he left behind for next winter was—at least partially—a paean to skiing. "I love its improvisation and dynamic movement," he said post-show, and his love was reflected in the energetically graphic collages of stripes, zigzags, and solids that made up much of the new season's knitwear. (The nylon hoodies were the flourish of star stylist Nicola Formichetti.) In this sense, Luca was taking his family heritage into the future, but there was also a charming, almost retro edge to items that evoked other, more leisurely mountain-based pursuits. The bobble hats and caps, the boots, the knapsacks with blanket rolls, and the knit-lined poncho suggested gentleman hikers (obviously, hikers with a finely honed appetite for color and pattern). A chunky "twinset" of a cabled sweater and an oversized cardigan seemed ideally après-ski for a man at ease with himself, much as a navy cardigan jacket thrown over a chevron-patterned suit hinted at the nonchalant luxury that is the essence of Missoni's allure.
13 January 2007
Hopping aboard Milan's space-age sixties trend might've been tempting for Angela Missoni. After all, this brand was born in that era. Instead, just as her parents did then, she's going her own way. Short shifts in fashion? Missoni put long pants with a slight flare on her runway—and not in a silvery brocade, or any of the other stiff fabrics that've been charging around town. Hers came in the house's signature crochet swirls. Shown with Missoni's contemporary take on the twinset—a slouchy V-neck sweater with a knit band atop it to give definition to the waist—the overall effect was one of softness and controlled ease. By contrast, the opening skirt, with large cargo pockets on the thighs, was a complete mystery: Few women could pull off a look that added such bulk to their frame, and even if they could, it's doubtful they'd want to.Overcoming missteps like those, Missoni made the show memorable with her innovative prints. She turned tough, masculine camouflage into something feminine, using bright colors rather than drab ones and layering a water lily motif over them. At the opposite end of the spectrum was a microprint of soft dots on washed-out lavender and earth tones; this looked particularly good as fishtail flutters along the sides of a knee-length skirt. There were crystal-encrusted evening looks, but the newness came from something less predictable. The last outfit was a V-neck shell worn with a long column of a skirt, the latter slightly bubbled above optical chain embroidery encircling the legs. How refreshing to see a designer reinterpreting and updating her own vocabulary, rather than grasping at flighty notions of retro futurism.
29 September 2006
What a difference a year makes. Luca Missoni's last summer collection was all sun-kissed Americana. This time around, he went in another direction entirely, invoking Alfred, Lord Douglas, the male minx who drove Oscar Wilde to his doom. Adding to the surprise was the news—underlined in fashion scholar Anna Piaggi's collection notes—that "Bosey," as Douglas was known, was keen on golf. This undoubtedly accounted for the odd tenor of this show. Pitched partway between blow-dried fop and Tiger Woods, its defining image was an ambiguous young man, pretty in pink from the top of his flat cap to the bottom of his (Missoni-print) golf bag.Piaggi talked about "Sports Romantics," but the show was strongest when it concentrated on the first half of that equation, shifting the emphasis from effeteness to easygoing leisurewear. Particularly welcome were the deep-pleated, baggy Bermuda shorts, which were shown as half of a pinstriped suit, as well as in a graphically blocked plaid with matching shirt, and even dressed up for evening, with a Lurex-shot cardigan and bow tie. Elsewhere, though, indolence ruled, from the sockless black oxfords to the predominantly pastel color scheme to a catwalk that looked like a sun-faded mosaic composed of Missoni's signature chevrons.
25 June 2006
The new proportions that Angela Missoni mentioned before her fall show were instantly obvious in the egg-shape billow of the first pullover dress to hit the catwalk. Paired with leggings, it set the tone for a collection that veered between the capelike "egg" and a loose, drop-waist chemise silhouette. Either way, there was an unprecedented softness to Missoni this season. It was reflected in the subdued color scheme (curry was the most significant accent, but cinnamon, chocolate, dark green, gray, and nude were also prominent), as well as in the off-the-shoulder slouch of a silk dress side-tied over those ubiquitous and fresh-looking leggings.There was a richness to the collection that also felt like a bit of a departure. Mink hemmed a skirt in the house's classic chevron pattern, and a capelet in the same fur featured bands of bugle beads. Trompe l'oeil beading, meanwhile, duplicated a scarf-tie on a silver tunic dress, emphasizing the light touch Missoni felt was essential to balance the silhouette. Lightness was evident, too, in a feather-covered dress in a sophisticated pattern the French callramagethat looked something like pussy willows. It had a hint of the japanoiserie that has been creeping around Milan—another example of the way this collection, while hardly revolutionary, felt up-to-date and nicely in tune with the prevailing trends.
24 February 2006
There's an innate languor to knitwear that explains a lot of its sensuous appeal. The program notes for Luca Missoni's latest collection for the family business opted to link that mood to the style of Edward VIII, more commonly known as the Duke of Windsor, the lost soul who surrendered his throne for love. The dandyism of the duke was indirectly reflected in notions as borderline effete as male twinsets, a clingy, elongated, electric-blue jersey top, and a floor-lengthrobe de chambrein a knitted ikat weave.Missoni's own gutsy spirit was more obvious in imaginative knit re-creations of an aviator jacket, a leather-buttoned blazer, and a belted car coat. Devolve the multilayered catwalk looks into single items, and the shawl-collared sweaters and cardigans become desirable. There were also pleasant surprises outside the knitwear—the footwear, for instance, or the trousers in pinstripe, plaid, or herringbone, or the bags in classic Missoni patterns. These touches suggested that, in menswear as much as womenswear, the label is effectively feeling its way into new territory.
15 January 2006
Angela Missoni's collection reflected the passion for prettiness that is sweeping Milan's spring-summer 2006 runways. Her show featured an embarrassment of ruffles and pleats; fabrics including diaphanous chiffon, organza, and fragile laces; and sugar-sweet prints.Those frills and flounces gave a kick to the shortest flirty skirts and baby-doll dresses, and volume to draped goddess gowns and garden-party frocks with a thirties flavor. Even the wide-lapel, sharp-tailored blazers and mess jackets (with an echo of seventies Rive Gauche) were softened with frothy jabots; sleek pants were paired with an update of the matinee jacket, flounced in net and lace. Missoni's signature prints and knit weaves ran the gamut from the angular romance of a Poiret-inspired Art Deco floral design to the brilliance of Peruvian stripes that gave punch to the pastels. Also adding voltage were the brightly colored or metallic disc sequins shimmering over short shifts or three-quarter cardigan jackets.Less focused than recent offerings from the house, this pan-generational collection nevertheless offered femininity for all ages. A simple beige cardigan, casually slouched over a bias-cut gown, for instance, echoes Angela Missoni's own easy, defiantly anti-fashion style, while those sassy little dresses with flounces well above the knee look destined for her daughter Margherita—herself an inspirational force on the international fashion scene.
27 September 2005
Luca Missoni presented Milan's most purely summery collection for 2006. "Optimistic, glossy, All-American," declared the program notes, and the show's sun-streaked energy had a distinct West Coast flair: all the blues suggested water, while the pinks hinted at Palm Springs. When they were combined (a geometric-patterned vest over a printed shirt, for instance) and paired with white jeans, the result was a casual new lightness of spirit for Missoni menswear. The same feeling was evident in a voile polo shirt, a short-sleeved butter-yellow cardigan, and a floral print that showed up as a shirt, a belt, and on a pair of boat shoes. A plaid suit looked refreshingly preppy (did you ever imagine you'd see those two words together?), and bright Missoni stripes on jackets, vests, and glazed cotton bags underscored the company's inexhaustible artisanal heritage.
28 June 2005
Position in the family accounts for much of the way we perform in life, as we all know. So consider Angela Missoni's lot. She's a fortysomething mom, shouldering the load of her parents' remarkable seventies achievements, while also tuning in to the style signals coming from her live-wire teenage children. Perhaps that's why her fall collection looked like a kind of compromise solution thrashed out at a Missoni family policy summit. In other words, keep alive the zigzag flame knits, space dyed patterns and florals, take on board the youngsters' fascination with the eighties, but don't forget to address the working woman's need for some forgiving knits for the daily grind, either.Angela Missoni picked her way into the general anti-flash mood of the season by choosing a subtle palette of slate, beige, misty blue, and plaster pink, sparked up with brighter shades of turquoise and purple. She contrasted passionflower prints on tube skirts and tight sexy camisoles against thick loose cashmere cardigans and V-neck sweaters, and slung on parkas to make things a little more casual. The eighties element came in tightly draped printed chiffon bodices and puffy taffeta collars of the kind Emanuel Ungaro might've designed for Alexis Colby. Styled together with striped obi knit belts and high heels strapped to the foot with silk strands, the collection never quite gelled as a total look. But then again, in a store, the bits and pieces will undoubtedly offer something for everyone in the family.
22 February 2005
Missoni mania has been bubbling round the label's womenswear for the past few years, thanks in no small part to Angela Missoni's daughter Margherita, who has been a stunningly successful ambassador for the family business. In the absence of an Angela equivalent on the men's side, it's up to small, fast-paced shows like this one to get the message out.The clothes are certainly charming. In a season marked so far by a lot of dark, "serious" looks, the color and verve of the company's signature knitwear offers a richly romantic alternative. Creative director Luca Missoni is following the route of his sister Angela in sexing up the label's artisanal heritage by broadening its scope and making the clothes more body-conscious. The knitwear was lean and paired for the first time with jeans or with tailored pieces—boot-cut pinstripe pants or a tweed suit. Styling touches attached a gypsy narrative to the show, with one model swathed in a blanket woven with huge roses and another in a Romany waistcoat. For the finale, Luca dispensed with color altogether, showing a sexy black woven shirt over black trousers.
17 January 2005
To the coolest Coldplay soundtrack, Angela Missoni sent out her prettiest collection to date—with her daughter Margherita, eschewing the front row to sit cross-legged on the floor, clearly in the role of muse. Wearing a fluttering thirties-inspired chiffon frock, electric-blue satin high heels, and a necklace of turquoise beads with purse to match, the 21-year-old exemplified the charming, eclectic feel of her mother's show.Missoni played with a delectable fruit theme, from a palette of apple green, banana, and watermelon, to fruit appliqués on skinny knit cardigans and tank tops, through crochet choker necklaces and garland belts. There was even a playful nod to Judith Leiber, in the form of a sparkling, green apple evening purse.In the spirit of the season, everything was part of a thrift-inspired mix. Boho combinations included a skinny-rib melon cardigan shrugged over a thirties chiffon garden-party dress, its elaborate seams traced with metallic knit; a cropped jacket worn with a flirty skirt, its jacquard godets in a contrasting color; and a crochet camisole top over the first Missoni jeans—in strawberry or vanilla, as well as French navy. With an M picked out in stitching on a back pocket, the pieces from this denim range, which includes microshorts, well-fitting seventies-flavor jeans, and shapely flying jackets, look set to figure high on any fashionista's must-have list.Missoni captured the lightness and fragility of this thistledown spring, with Maypole-striped pieces, free-flying panels, and even fringed evening separates and dresses. Seen en masse, as the models took to the runway for their finale, they suggested the flutter of a cloud of butterflies descending on a ripening orchard.
28 September 2004
Last season, the house of Missoni celebrated its golden jubilee with a spectacular parade of outfits representing 50 years of vibrant creativity. For fall, Angela Missoni, who has inherited the mantle of many colors from her parents, company founders Tai and Rosita, had clearly been inspired by that rich summation.In a season dominated by the eclecticism and luxe bohemianism that is the house signature, Missoni evoked both ladylike Camelot elegance—Lurex-knit sheath dresses complete with velvet clutch purses and upswept hairdos—and the hippie looks that first put the label on the map in the early seventies: swirling Art Nouveau prints, knit capes, fringing, and chiffon palazzo pajamas. Capes were a strong theme, from the short zigzag-knit number in Neapolitan ice cream colors that opened the show (over short shorts) through the chiffon minidress with a floor-length fringed cape in back. Giant silk cabbage roses worn on chokers at the neck or pinned to the hip were a pretty touch (and ready for a Sarah Moon close-up), although knee socks worn with the high-heeled court shoes were definitely not.Missoni's stylish furs cleverly referenced the house's trademark knits, as horizontally banded mink or fox coats were subtly graduated from collar to hem in tones from black to white or arctic to red, respectively. Organic, Lava Lamp appliqué details recalled the wacky spage-age looks of Pierre Cardin, currently the subject of a retrospective at Carla Sozzani's Corso Como gallery. With true pan-generational appeal, the show included pieces suitable for Rosita Missoni, as well as looks that were perfect for her granddaughter, It girl Margherita.Dramatic evening gowns in colored Lurex or vibrant kaleidoscope prints, suspended from jeweled halters, suggested Sharon Stone¿s va-va-voom wardrobe inCasino, while a fringed knit dress looked as though the model had wrapped herself in a gypsy shawl—a dramatic gesture worthy of the Belle Époque dancer Loie Fuller, actress Eleonora Duse, or society beauty Consuelo Vanderbilt, all of whom Missoni cited as influences.
28 February 2004
With their slinky, striped knits, knotted-string halternecks, frizzed-out hairdos, and wooden platform sandals, the girls at Missoni might have been having a flashback to the 1970's. And why not? That was the decade when Tai and Rosita Missoni first made big news, and this show was an emotional celebration of their multicolored fifty-year run as one of Italy’s most-loved family businesses.The Missonis’ daughter, Angela, has carried the company’s obsession with zigzags, chevrons, and stripes to a new high. Her delicately playful pop animal prints, swirly art nouveau–derived patterns, and flaring vertical lines—all controlled by a slim, body-conscious silhouette—make for an amazing spectrum of separates, dresses, and utterly desirable cutout swimsuits and beach cover-ups.Angela’s collection was followed by a runway retrospective of her parents’ archives, a parade that illustrated the range of creativity and imagination that propelled Missoni to become a cult label of the rich hippie/jet-set era. It was like watching a knitted footnote to the history of fashion, weaving its way through space age to bohemian eclectic to Studio 54, offering kaleidoscopes of color in tapestries, patchworks, quilts, butterfly wings, and every variation of stripe imaginable. More extraordinary still, most of it looked absolutely wearable now. Perhaps that’s an observation on how all-inclusive trends have become; it also shows just how rich and inspiring an inheritance Angela Missoni has to play with.
4 October 2003
Even before the show started, there was a lot of cross-generational action on the Missoni runway. Seventies supermodel Pat Cleveland and her 13-year-old daughter Anna Van Ravenstein—both dressed top to toe in wiggly Missoni knits—cavorted for photographers with Margherita, daughter of designer Angela Missoni. It all signaled the recharged energy of this family-owned house, which is getting ready for a 50th-anniversary celebration.The ’60s are in the air, and there's no harm at all in revisiting them—especially when you’re a house that has some direct experience with the decade. It's perfect timing: Angela Missoni, who is preparing a fashion show of her parents' designs for September, said, "I was looking through all the things in our archive, so I was thinking that way anyway." For fall she took swirly browns, blues, yellows, emeralds and turquoises and styled them into Cardin-esque minidresses and the patterned knit coats that are giving Missoni a rejuvenated relevance.Angela Missoni is smart enough to contemporize the label's appeal beyond the signature jazzy pattern. She showed how the knits and print satin blouses can be worn maybe with a great boot-leg pant in bright yellow or look fab with a pink fur thrown on top. She also sent out a hit from the archives: a minidress knitted in overlapping petals of colored Lurex, first done in 1966. Not great for the grannies and mommies, perhaps, but just perfect for those leggy teens currently making the Missoni scene.
3 March 2003
Bastato eclectic peasant dressing. This season, the Missoni girl has kicked off her hippie sandals and slipped on a pair of high, shiny pumps. She might be on a sexy road, but full-on wantonness is not her style. Instead she's pulled together a look that combines feminine, flirty, body-conscious pieces, like bustiers and scarf dresses, with the knits and patterns that are her true passion.The house’s signature zigzag stitch this time came in citified trenches, pencil skirts and belted knicker suits bound with black leather. Angela Missoni used black satin to add a glam vibe to slim pants, cropped trousers and jackets, but the stars here were the vivid colors, silky stripes and cloudy pastel geometric flowers. A chiffon blouson and a knee-length drifty dress worn with a skimpy little cardigan looked simply irresistible.
30 September 2002
It's a knit season and individuality has never been such a driving force in fashion. Put those two factors together and Missoni is perfectly poised to win the hearts of eclectic shoppers. Angela Missoni's talent for joining multicolored pattern and modern woman styling is the thread that runs exuberantly through this collection. She knits in references to artistic and folkloric cultures from all over the world—Peruvian stripes, a touch of the Tyrol, hints of Morocco and for a historical touch some right-on-trend art nouveau butterfly markings.Missoni's knack is making this melee of stripes, zigzags, swirls and fringe into appealing urban clothing. There's a vertically striped multicolor ribbed dress suspended on straps and matched with a long scarf, a knit coat patterned like a swirly carpet, a djellaba cardigan with a zip front. Loopy yarn is made into a stole, while wooly South American-style fringing was a new note for one of the season's recurring themes. Pulled together with the soft browns, purples, greens and oranges of the moment and some great bags, Missoni is full of treasures for fashion's individualists to pick through and make their own.
4 March 2002
With fashion designers turning to the hippie-dippy '60s and '70s for inspiration, Missoni's bold contrasting prints are enjoying a moment in the sun.Missoni put a decadent, luxurious spin on folksy romanticism. Handkerchief tops were printed to resemble tie-dye treatments; Native American-inspired embellishments adorned jacket sleeves, carrier bags and the back of a raw tab-collar coat. A fluorescent acrylic palette of yellow and cobalt blue referenced early Bob Dylan style, as did the shredded-patchwork and loom-net skirts, shawl tops and butterfly trousers.Missoni's eveningwear dazzled with metallic, optic swirl dresses sporting fringed hems. Baby-doll frocks, silver beaded tops and extrawide copper trousers will all look great with high-heeled espadrilles—the footwear of choice for Missoni bohemians.
1 October 2001
Perhaps taking a cue from last season's obsession with corseted, wrapped and strapped silhouettes, Missoni toyed with a more overtly adventurous feeling than usual this season, with decidedly mixed results.The house's well-known staples were all there: Roomy tweed trousers, long zig-zag print coats and colorful turtlenecks all looked great, as did a pale-blue corduroy pantsuit and a floor-grazing trench. Patchwork-inlaid coats, jackets and skirts added a playful spin to Missoni's traditional play of patterns. Less successful were the whalebone-cinched tops, strappy optic dresses and oversize patent-leather trousers; and the intriguing double bag designed to dangle perilously over the shoulder is a pickpocket's dream come true.What worked best at Missoni were the looks that relied on classic design and well-assembled colors and textures for effect.
1 March 2001
It was a rich woman's world at Missoni—sensuous fabrics, graphic prints piled atop each other, huge M-shaped bangles dangling on wrists and retro movie-star-inspired shades.Missoni's "Modern Eccentric" wore liquid, fluid crepe, satin and jersey dresses with stiff, wide cummerbunds and double-buckle belts; for evening, beaded pants were as tight as leggings; a Lurex-knit, off-the-shoulder silver top with large ruffles lent a bit of necessary lightness to the often overwhelming looks. For hot summer days there were large tote bags, beach towels, plunging swimsuits and even robes, all decorated with signature Missoni prints. If anyone wants to flaunt a rich, overtly decadent lifestyle to the max, this is the place to turn to.
2 October 2000
It's a good fashion moment for Missoni. Prints and sophistication--both buzzwords for Fall—are the concepts upon which this well-known Italian fashion house was founded. Missoni's ideal of visual—and visible—elegance came alive on the runway with considerable zeal. Capitalizing on the current branding craze, Missoni used a zigzag "M" pattern as an oversize, tongue-firmly-in-cheek logo. There was also an emphasis on eclectic mixing and matching: beaded trousers, Lurex knits, liquid satins and comfy tweeds all came together in an extravagant potpourri of texture and color. How to top off the rich look? With sheared-fur bomber jackets, gold tights and matching shoes and bags.
21 February 2000
A continuous flow of color and patterns in light fabrics was the key design element for Angela Missoni, whose signature prints looked better than ever in this season filled with decoration. It was a feminine collection defined by soft forms and geometric, colorful patterns. Optical waves of yellow, turquoise, orange and lime suggested a seaside stay on Capri, while zigzag brushstrokes of black and white brought an urban touch to the mix. Evening was defined by a series of nocturnal landscapes with rhinestone appliqués on airy, chiffon knit column-dresses.
27 September 1999