London, 1948 Olympics … that’s where it all began, when Ottavio Missoni, Italian champion of 400 meters in obstacles, meets Rosita Jelmini, belonging to a family of textile entrepreneurs, in England to learn English. He saw him compete and fell in love with it, but he was only 16 years old. They married in 1953 and with the marriage they also created the company that more familiar than this cannot be. The brand is Missoni but the architects were from the beginning Rosita and Ottavio. «My parents had two well -defined personalities and two complementary roles but the same project. When my father said “I am the creator, but Rosita created me” he underlined that it was she who discovering a talent hidden for color in him, “says his son Luca, artistic director of the Missoni archive. «Before knowing it, he already had an activity in Trieste, a small knitwear laboratory he had put up with friends after the war. They made gymnastics also used by the athletic national team. But they were simple garments, in a solid color. Only thanks to my mother did he begin to experiment with the colors and bring out what would later become the unmistakable aesthetic Missoni ».
In practice, did your mother brought color to her father’s talent?
«Yes, he had an enthusiastic and innovative vision of fashion and a strong link with the world of art and design. He believed in the knitwear as a tool of freedom for women, both in a physical and social sense. He knew how to recognize certain ways of using color and fabrics. In addition, he understood what he could be topical at a specific moment. He had a guide role, he was the final judge: I remember that when, together with my dad, we presented her with the fabrics that we had created or experiments, only if they convinced her we went on, otherwise we started again. My father totally trusted his instincts and followed her on this creative journey. Together, then, they were avant-garde and pioneers of Italian prêt-à-porter ».
And now you children carry on the company.
«In recent years my mother had dedicated herself exclusively to Missoni Home, while fashion had passed to my sister Angela (president of Missoni Spa). My father, on the other hand, continued to create his patchwork and tapestries without worrying about commercial dynamics. We have been managing it for twenty years and we carry on the family tradition, trying to keep their innovative spirit alive ».
Luca Missoni, 68, in the Missoni Archive in Albusciago of which he is the creative director.
What role has the role played and has for the maison?
“It is from a frame that it all started. My father always said: “With cars we can only make lines”, joking about the fact that our style is characterized by these plots. But knowing how to create lines and coloring them harmoniously is a complex art. We have developed educational projects to convey this art to young people, as weaves, created with the Ma*Ga (Gallarate Art Museum). The idea is to make students understand how important chromatic composition is and how the textile tradition can be a starting point for new forms of creativity “.
Is the third generation of the family involved in the company?
«In all of mine they have had nine grandchildren and now there are also the prones. Among the cousins there is an emotional bond, also thanks to my mom who over the years has always kept the ranks beyond the company where there is not always a place for everyone and there has never been an obligation to get involved: everyone is free to follow their inclinations and interests. But the link between us is very strong, thanks to the education received. The family has always been the center of everything, and this is also reflected in the way we manage the activity ».
Is there a place where you gathered?
«My mother’s house has always been the heart of the family. She organized dinners, birthdays, and in all this the kitchen had a central role. He was very attentive to the quality of the ingredients and seasonality, values he had inherited from his mother. Even today we find ourselves there around the same table for family meetings, and the cuisine is still active, even if my mother is gone ».
What relationship do you have with the territory?
«We are linked to Gallarate and Varesotto where the company was born. In the 70s, with the expansion of the activity, my parents decided to move to the hill. First they built the factory, then the house where we grew up. We still call it “the house of the grandmother”, because it has always been the point of reference for the whole family ».
What talents have you inherited from Ottavio and Rosita?
«My father’s sportiness remained in some grandchildren, but perhaps not everyone inherited his competitive spirit. From him we have taken above all creativity and freedom of artistic expression, the desire to experience without having to respond to market logic. From my mother, however, we learned the sense of hospitality and the value of social relationships “.
Are the lines and the zigzag Missoni iconic?
«These reasons have become a real symbol. In the 1960s, when my father began to use them, they were revolutionaries and brought a great charge of joy. Wearing them was a sign of personality. They are so distinctive that, still today, if we see a similar reason around, we know that it is ours or is a copy ».
