The Missoni knitwear company is the fashion house that single handedly put bohemian colors and chevron prints on the map. Their exclusive and luxurious company is a favorite amongst the high fashion crowd, and their collaboration with Target literally shut the mass-retailers website down.
Today, we receive the sad news that Ottavio Missoni, who founded the company with his wife Rosita in the 1950s, died early Thursday morning at the family’s home in Sumirago, Italy. He was 92.
The Missoni family has been plagued with heartbreak over the past four months. The disappearance of a small plane carrying Ottavio’s son Vittorio and three other passengers in Venezuela was no doubt detrimental to the designer’s health. He was being treated for a respiratory problem last week, according to Italian news media.
His legacy is one that should make his family proud. Ottavio Missoni was originally an Italian track star when he met Rosita while competing in the London Olympics in 1948.
After their marriage in Italy, the couple established a knitwear business in the Lombardy Region of Italy in the 1950s, developing intricate machinery that would enable them to create the famous colorful zigzag patterns that have remained Missoni’s signature print.
The Missoni couple had control of their company until the late 1990s, when they passed the role down to their children Luca, Vittorio and Angela. Keeping the business in the family proved to work in their favor. The company has since expanded into a lifestyle brand with furniture, fragrances, hotels and, of course, their record breaking Target collaboration in 2011.
Our thoughts are with the Missoni family.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
