Rosita Missoni, the co-founder of the renowned Italian fashion house Missoni, known for its vibrant knitwear, has passed away at the age of 93. Attilio Fontana, president of the Lombardy region in Italy, confirmed her death, calling it “a great loss for Italy.”
Missoni and her husband, Ottavio, established the fashion house, which gained global recognition for its signature brightly colored, geometric knitwear designs. Fontana praised the brand’s iconic zigzag patterns, echoing the sentiment of New York Times fashion journalist Bernadine Morris, who in 1977 declared that the Missonis had “elevated knitting to an art form.”
Born in 1931 in Golasecca, Lombardy, Rosita’s parents were shawl manufacturers. Her life took a pivotal turn in 1948 when she met Ottavio, known as Tai, at the London Olympics.
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At the time, Rosita was attending an English language course under the supervision of the Swiss Sisters of the Holy Cross. She recounted being immediately captivated by Tai’s presence, according to Women’s Wear Daily (WWD). She described the encounter: “That’s when I saw Tai; he passed right alongside me, and I couldn’t help but notice how good-looking and athletic he was.” She even predicted his victory based on his bib number, 331, as seven (the sum of the digits) was her lucky number.
The couple married in 1953 in Golasecca and began their fashion journey by creating knitwear in the basement of their Gallarate home. “When I got married, four sewing machines arrived with my husband,” Rosita shared in a 2016 interview with AFP. The now-iconic Missoni designs originated somewhat serendipitously, Rosita explained to WWD: “We could only do stripes, and then we started doing horizontal and vertical and little by little added more complicated stitches, plaids and jacquards.”
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The brand’s breakthrough came in 1953 with a substantial order of striped dresses from the Milanese department store Rinascente. Their fame soared in 1967 after a controversial fashion show at Florence’s Pitti Palace where models went braless, solidifying Missoni’s reputation and propelling the brand to international acclaim.
Missoni’s designs have adorned numerous celebrities, including Cate Blanchett, Kerry Washington, and Nicole Richie. The brand’s enduring appeal was further demonstrated by a successful collaboration with Target in 2011, which generated significant public interest.
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Rosita and Tai raised their three children—Vittorio, Angela, and Luca—near their factory in Sumirago, Lombardy. In 1997, Rosita passed the leadership of the fashion house to her daughter Angela, focusing her own energies on the brand’s homeware line. Angela later incorporated her daughter, Margherita Maccapani Missoni, into the business before eventually stepping down as creative director. Tragedy struck the family in 2013 with the death of Vittorio in a plane crash, followed by the passing of Ottavio in May of the same year. In a poignant Instagram tribute last November for Rosita’s 93rd birthday, Margherita celebrated her grandmother’s profound influence on her life and aesthetic sensibilities.
