Ottavio Missoni facts for kids
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Missoni in 1990
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Italian |
| Born | 11 February 1921 Dubrovnik, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes |
| Died | 9 May 2013 (aged 92) Sumirago, Italy |
| Residence | Varese, Italy |
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) |
| Weight | 80 kg (176 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Country |  Italy |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event(s) | 400 metres hurdles |
| Club | Gallaratese |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) |
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Ottavio "Tai" Missoni (born February 11, 1921 – died May 9, 2013) was a famous Italian businessman. He was the founder of the well-known Italian fashion brand Missoni. Ottavio was also an amazing athlete who competed as a hurdler in the 1948 Summer Olympics.
With his wife Rosita, he helped create Italian ready-to-wear fashion in the 1950s. This made Italian fashion popular all over the world.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ottavio Missoni was born in Dubrovnik, Croatia. This city is on the Dalmatian coast. His mother was a Countess from Dalmatia. His father was a sea captain from Friuli, a region in Italy. Ottavio went to school in Zadar, Trieste, and Milan.
Sporting Achievements
Ottavio Missoni joined the Italian National Track Team when he was just 16 years old in 1937. He was a very talented athlete. He won the national championship in Italy four times.
He also competed for Italy in the 1948 Summer Olympics. Even at 88 years old, he was still active in sports. He enjoyed activities like shot put and javelin throw.
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Performance | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | Italian Athletics Championships | 1st | 400 metres | |||
| 1941 | Italian Athletics Championships | 1st | 400 metres hurdles | |||
| 1947 | Italian Athletics Championships | 1st | 400 metres hurdles | |||
| 1948 | Italian Athletics Championships | 1st | 400 metres hurdles | |||
| 1948 | Olympic Games |  London |
6th | 400 metres hurdles | 54.0 | |
| Final | 4x400 metres | DNF |
War Service
Ottavio Missoni served as a soldier during World War II. In 1942, he took part in the Second Battle of El Alamein. During this battle, he was captured by the British army. He spent the rest of the war in an English prisoner-of-war camp.
Marriage and Family
While in London for the Olympics, Ottavio met Rosita Jelmini. She was 16 years old and from Italy. Rosita was watching when Ottavio ran in the finals.
They got married five years later on April 18, 1953. They had three children: Vittorio (born 1954), Luca (born 1956), and Angela (born 1960).
Starting a Fashion Business
After the war, Ottavio and his friend Giorgio Oberweger started a business. They made wool tracksuits called Venjulia suits in Trieste. These tracksuits were special because they had features like English ribbing and zippered legs. Many people believe Ottavio invented zippered legs for sportswear!
The Venjulia suits were very successful. They were warm and allowed athletes to move freely. The Italian Olympic team even wore them in 1948.
In 1953, after he married Rosita, the Missonis opened a workshop. It was called Maglificio Jolly and was in Gallarate. Rosita's family already had a business making shawls. The Missonis started experimenting with knitting machines. They found that machines made for shawls could create surprisingly light fabrics for clothes.
They designed clothes for big stores like Biki and La Rinascente in Milan. In 1958, the first clothes with the Missoni label were shown. These were colorful striped dresses. Ottavio's experience in making sportswear helped them create comfortable and stylish Italian sportswear.
Growing the Missoni Brand
In 1965, a fashion journalist named Anna Piaggi wrote about Missoni. She helped make their designs famous. Missoni also worked with designer Emmanuelle Khanh in 1965.
The Missonis had their first fashion show in 1966. The next year, they had a show in Florence. This show caused a bit of a stir because the lights made the models' clothes look see-through. Even though other designers later showed similar styles, the Missonis were not invited back to Florence. However, this "scandal" gave them a lot of attention! It also helped Milan become a major fashion city.
Missoni designs were featured in many top fashion magazines. These included Women's Wear Daily, Vogue, Marie Claire, Elle, and Harper's Bazaar. Important editors like Diana Vreeland and Anna Piaggi loved their work.
In 1970, Missoni opened its first shop inside Bloomingdale's in New York. Their first own store opened in Milan in 1976.
Ottavio was the master of colors and patterns. He created the designs using watercolors and gouache paintings. Rosita then developed the shapes and styles of the clothes. Ottavio's designs were very influential. They combined many colors with zigzags, stripes, checks, and wavy patterns. People saw his designs as true art.
In 1975, there was an exhibition of Ottavio's textiles and paintings in Venice. In 1974, Missoni designs were chosen for the Dress of the Year at the Fashion Museum, Bath. In 1976, Ottavio was named one of the ten most elegant men in the world.
To celebrate 25 years of Missoni, a special exhibition was held in Milan in 1978. It later traveled to the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. This was the first time the Whitney Museum had ever shown a fashion exhibition.
In 1983, Ottavio and Rosita designed costumes for an opera called Lucia di Lammermoor at the La Scala opera house in Milan.
Awards and Recognition
Ottavio Missoni received many awards for his work in fashion and design. Some of these include:
- Neiman Marcus Fashion Award (1973)
- Tommy Award from the American Printed Fabric Council Inc. (1976)
- Gold Medal for Civic Merit from the Municipality of Milan (1979)
- Fragrance Foundation Award for Best Packaging (1982)
- Knight of the Order of Labour Merit of the Italian Republic (1993)
- Honorary Royal Designers for Industry (HonRDI) by the Royal Society of Arts, London (1997)
- Honorary Doctorate from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London (1999)
- Honorary Doctorate Degree from the Academy of Art College, San Francisco (1999)
- Premio Leonardo Qualità Italia (2002)
- Honorary degree from Shanghai University (2002)
- Honorary citizen of Trieste (2007)
Later Life and Passing
In 1997, Ottavio and Rosita handed over the Missoni business to their children. Their son Vittorio became the marketing director. Their daughter Angela became the creative director. Their son Luca took on a technical role.
Since then, Missoni has grown into a lifestyle brand. It now includes furniture, car interiors, hotels, and partnerships with other companies like Target.
In 2003, Missoni celebrated 50 years in business. A famous fashion writer, Suzy Menkes, wrote that the Missonis were like "one big happy local family of hands-on wizards."
On January 4, 2013, Ottavio's oldest son, Vittorio Missoni, disappeared in a plane crash near Venezuela. His wife and other passengers were also on board. The plane's wreckage was found later, and the deaths were confirmed in October 2013.
On May 1, 2013, Ottavio was taken to the hospital. He had just celebrated his 60th wedding anniversary with Rosita. At his request, he went home to be with his family. Ottavio passed away peacefully during the night of May 8 and 9, 2013, at the age of 92.
See also
- List of Italian records in masters athletics
