Missoni facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Fashion |
| Founded | Gallarate, Lombardy, Italy (1953) |
| Founder | Rosita and Ottavio Missoni |
| Headquarters |
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Italy
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Number of locations
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20 countries |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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Alberto Caliri (Creative Director) Angela Missoni Luca Missoni Livio Proli (CEO) |
| Products | Knitwear, leather, cotton, swimwear |
| Services | Fashion retail |
| Revenue | $135 million (2023) |
| Owner | Missoni family |
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Number of employees
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300 (2018) |
| Divisions |
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Missoni is a famous Italian fashion company. It is known for its bright and colorful knitwear designs. The company started in 1953 in Varese, Italy. It was founded by a husband and wife team, Ottavio Missoni and Rosita Missoni.
Contents
History of Missoni Fashion
How Missoni Started
The Missoni company began in 1953. Ottavio and Rosita Missoni opened a small workshop in Gallarate, Italy. They made knitwear there. In 1958, they showed their first collection in Milan. A fashion editor named Anna Piaggi helped them a lot.
In 1965, Rosita met French stylist Emmanuelle Khanh. This led to them working together on a new collection. In 1967, they were invited to show their designs at the Pitti Palace in Florence. Their show caused a big stir. Even though they were not invited back the next year, their business grew. A new factory was built in Sumirago in 1969.
Missoni designs became very popular in the United States. Diana Vreeland, who was the editor of American Vogue, loved their clothes. A Missoni store opened inside Bloomingdales, a famous department store. Missoni was very influential in fashion in the early 1970s. Ottavio Missoni also designed costumes for the La Scala opera house. He also designed carpets and tapestries.
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The Next Generation Takes Over
In the 1990s, Rosita Missoni decided to focus on home designs. Her daughter, Angela Missoni, took over as the main fashion designer in 1998. Rosita then led the Missoni Home division.
In 1996, the Missonis gave control of the business to their three children. Vittorio Missoni became the marketing director. Luca Missoni designed menswear until 2008. Angela Missoni designed womenswear. She also took over menswear in 2008. Luca then became responsible for the company's archives and events. By 2005, most of Missoni's money came from womenswear.
In 2011, Missoni made news when Target Stores sold cheaper versions of Missoni products. Most items sold out very quickly, sometimes within 24 hours. There were long lines at stores, and Target's website became very busy.
Sad News for the Missoni Family
On January 4, 2013, a plane carrying Vittorio Missoni, who was the CEO of Missoni at the time, went missing. This happened off the coast of Venezuela. On June 27, 2013, the Venezuelan government announced that parts of the plane had been found. Vittorio's body was found with the other passengers.
Ottavio Missoni passed away on May 8, 2013. He was 92 years old.
After these sad events, designer Patricia Urquiola started redesigning Missoni stores in 2013. In 2014, Angela Missoni hired Rossella Jardini as a consultant.
Missoni Today
In 2018, the Missoni family sold a part of their company to an investment fund. They sold 41.2% of the company for €70 million. This meant the family still owned 58.8%. A year later, Angela Missoni said they planned to list the company on the Italian stock exchange.
In 2021, Alberto Caliri took over from Angela Missoni as the head of the women's fashion line. The next year, Filippo Grazioli became the new creative director for Missoni. Alberto Caliri then oversaw Missoni Sport and Missoni Home. In October 2024, Missoni announced that Filippo Grazioli had left. Alberto Caliri was reappointed as the creative director.
On January 2, 2025, Rosita Missoni passed away at the age of 93.
Other Missoni Brands
Missoni has created several other brands and products over the years.
Missoni Sport
Missoni Sport first started in 1985. Luca Missoni was in charge of its designs. It was stopped in 2007. Missoni Sport was relaunched in 2022. It is now a line of comfortable and wellness clothing. In 2023, it launched a special collection with soccer player Mike Maignan. This collection included tracksuits, cardigans, and hoodies.
M Missoni
M Missoni was a less expensive clothing line. It was launched in 1998. Margherita Maccapani Missoni, Rosita Missoni's granddaughter, was its creative director until 2021. In 2012, M Missoni launched its first collection of accessories. Missoni later took full control of the M Missoni line in 2018. By 2019, M Missoni's sales were about 30 million euros. The M Missoni line was stopped in 2021.
Missoni Home
Missoni Home creates items for the house. It started in 1981, working with Rosita's family business. In 2012, Missoni Home worked with a building in Manila, Philippines. They decorated the apartments and penthouses there. In 2021, Missoni signed an agreement to decorate apartments in Dubai. As part of Missoni Home, the company launched the Missoni Resort Club project in 2022. This project customized beach clubs and resorts.
Hotel Missoni
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In 2005, Missoni and the Rezidor Hotel Group agreed to create Hotel Missoni. They planned to have 30 hotels by 2012. Two Hotel Missoni branches opened. One was in Edinburgh in 2009. The other was in Kuwait City in 2011. The hotel agreement ended in 2014. The Edinburgh hotel was then renamed.
Missoni Kids
Missoni Kids is a clothing line for children. Missoni used to license this line to another company. In the early 2000s, Missoni brought it in-house. In 2022, Missoni signed a new agreement for Missoni Kids. This agreement is with an Italian company called Simonetta. They will develop and produce the Missoni Kids line. The first collection from this new partnership was for spring 2023.
Other Missoni Projects
Missoni launched its first perfume in 1982. Today, Estée Lauder handles the perfume license.
In 2011, Target offered a special collection called Missoni for Target. This limited-edition collection included home goods, accessories, and clothes for women, men, girls, and babies. It was sold in stores and online.
In 2017, Missoni started its first real estate project. It is called Missoni Baia. This is a residential building in Miami, Florida. It has 249 units. The building was completed by the end of 2022.
In 2018, Missoni and Safilo made an agreement. Safilo produces and distributes Missoni's eyeglasses and sunglasses. In 2019, Missoni also signed an agreement with Timex Group. Timex Group designs, produces, and distributes Missoni watches.
Missoni Campaigns
Missoni has worked with famous photographers for its advertising campaigns. These photographers include Juergen Teller in 2010 and Alasdair McLellan in 2013.
Helping Others
In 2017, Jennifer Lopez worked with Missoni. They teamed up with the Women's Cancer Research Fund and Saks Fifth Avenue. They raised money for cancer research. Jennifer Lopez helped promote special Missoni t-shirts. The money from these t-shirts went to 12 different cancer charities.
