Missoni is a world-famous brand foundedin Milan and famous for its famous zigzags. The bright pattern decorates tops, skirts, low-cut dresses. Shapeless home knitwear turns into a seductive airy material at Missoni. In addition, in addition to the fabulous zigzags, the brand is famous for its smooth, flawless seams, thanks to which the joints of the parts are almost imperceptible. Missoni clothing is universal, it is appropriate at home, in the office and at a social event. Do you agree that there are more than enough advantages for one company? So what is the secret of Missoni's success? Let's try to figure it out. And let's start, perhaps, with the main thing - the brand itself and the history of its origin.
History of Missoni
However, you can’t write about a company without rememberingAbout its creator. Ottavio Missoni was born in the ancient city of Dubrovnik in southern Croatia in 1921. When he was six years old, Ottavio and his parents moved to the town of Zadar, where he spent his youth. Among Missoni's serious hobbies, one can note athletics. Ottavio was a serious athlete and even managed to win eight national titles before the start of World War II. However, all dreams of a sports career were destroyed by the war. Missoni went to the front. It cannot be said that his time in the army was as cloudless as his life in civilian life. In 1942, Ottavio took part in the Battle of El Alamein and was eventually captured by the Allies. He had to languish in an Egyptian prisoner of war camp for as many as 4 years. After which (in 1946), the exhausted soldier returned to Italy. There, Ottavio quickly came to his senses and even entered the Oberdan Lyceum. But you can't live on a scholarship alone, and the enterprising Missoni, together with his friend Giorgio, opens a small workshop for sewing Venjulia tracksuits, which later became the main uniform of the Italian Olympic team. Apparently, the success of the event was due to the fact that Ottavio is a former athlete, and he knows better than anyone what kind of suits are needed during long training sessions. One way or another, his own business not only brought the young man profit, but also helped him find happiness in his personal life. In 1953, Ottavio Missoni met Rosita Gelmini and proposed to her. What does a sportswear workshop have to do with it, you ask? The fact is that the future bride was the heiress of a factory producing embroidered fabrics and scarves, so the young people had a lot in common. It must be admitted that the newlyweds very quickly joined forces and created the Missoni company. This happened in the year of their marriage. Initially, it was an ordinary knitwear workshop. The spouses sold small products to random customers for a long time before they received a large order. The famous La Rinascente house needed knitwear in particularly large sizes. Needless to say, Ottavio and Rosita Missoni handled the order brilliantly? That is why their own Missoni brand appeared in 1966. The workshop had equipment that produced only smooth and striped fabrics. It was for this reason, and not in connection with the creative ideas of the spouses, that the famous and recognizable Missoni pattern appeared. Another lucky break was the 1967 fashion show, when Rosita asked the models to take off their bras so as not to ruin the geometry of the dress. But she did not think that under the spotlight the dresses would become translucent. And in the end, this incident turned into world fame.
Timeline of Missoni's success
1958 – The first was presented to the fashion worldMissoni collection called "Milano-Simpathy". 1965 - Rosita meets French stylist Emmanuel Kahn. A landmark event took place in New York and led to fruitful cooperation. April 1967 - the Missoni couple were invited to the Pitti Palace (in Florence) for a fashion show for the first time. 1970 - Missoni, with the support of American Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, opened their first boutique in the Bloomingdales department store. 1976 - Ottavio and Rosita open their first boutique in Milan. 1978 - 25th anniversary of the Missoni fashion house. In honor of this grand event, shows were held in New York and Milan. 1979 - the company creates a men's clothing line for the first time. In the same year, the Missoni brand receives a diploma "For Contribution to the Cause of the Italian Republic" and a medal "For Civil Merit". 80s – the company creates costumes for the opera "Lucia di Lammermoor" by Gaetano Donizetti. 1994 – the 40th anniversary of the brand, which the couple celebrated with an unusual exhibition "Missoniology - the world of Missoni", which was successfully held in several countries around the world. 1997 – Ottavio and Rosita transfer the company to the management of Angela Missoni, their daughter. 2005 – The Missoni brand signs a contract for the construction of hotels with Rezidor SAS. The first buildings appeared in Kuwait, Edinburgh and Dubai under the name Missoni. We are sure that the chronology of the Missoni company does not end here, and the fashion brand will delight more than one generation with its colorful zigzags.
