Rosita Missoni, co-founder of Missoni’s iconic fashion house, dies at 93. Along with her late husband Ottavio ‘Tai’ Missoni, she has turned his family name into a chequered ribbon of Italian creativity that has been parachuted around the globe by her zigzag knits.
A Life filled with Color and Craftsmanship
Rosita Jelmini was born in 1931 in Golasecca, Varese. Rosita grew up surrounded by textiles. Her parents, Angelo and Diamante, owned a shawl and embroidery factory, which she knew very well while gaining a better understanding of how to be a craftsman of products and artwork. Rosita finished her language studies in 1948 and went to London to perfect her English. She first saw Ottavio Missoni, an Italian hurdler and budding entrepreneur, at the 1948 Olympics at Wembley Stadium.
Ottavio was courting Rosita, who had already been producing innovative tracksuits adopted by the Italian national team. By 1953, they were married, and Rosita had worked away from the family textile business to join Ottavio in starting their own new venture.
The Birth of Missoni
When they first started their company, which later received the name Maglificio Jolly, they started in the basement of their home with four knitting machines. By 1958, the couple’s designs had gained enough traction to bear their own name.
In 1962, the Missonis experimented with Raschel knitting machines to produce their signature “Fiamma” patterns, which pushed the textile world to a breakthrough. These flame-like designs burst with vibrant colour and energy, becoming the foundation of Missoni’s identity. The psychedelic patterns and timing were perfect, and they nailed the Missoni spirit of the 1960s, putting Missoni at the forefront of Italian ready-to-wear fashion.
From Milan to the World
Legendary editor Anna Piaggi encouraged Missoni to host its first fashion show in Milan only a year later, in 1966. Paris and London solidified the brand’s reputation after these shows. Missoni only furthered that mystique and allure when a scandal, when garments appeared transparent under the spotlight, did not help.
In the 1970s, Missoni was a mainstay of progressive Italian fashion. It had broken into the U.S. Missoni did the big wave of Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus started stocking their collections, and Bloomingdale’s rolled out a dedicated Missoni boutique.
Expanding the Missoni Vision
During the 1980s, the Missonis expanded their offer to include homewares, fragrances, and beauty products. Rosita was part of the early wave of taking a brand and building a lifestyle around it before the term was even coined.
For decades, Rosita and Ottavio passed the reigns to their children (Vittorio, Luca, and Angela) in the 1990s. In 1997, Angela took on the role of creative director, breathing new life into the brand’s visual language. Meanwhile, Rosita created her own domain on Missoni Home, where she proudly channeled her passion for design and decoration.
The Legacy of Color and Resilience
In 2013, she lost one of her sons, Vittorio, in a plane crash, and then Ottavio a year later. All of this was hard, but Rosita kept the family and brand. She continued to attend fashion events and support her grandchildren’s exploits, including at Margherita’s September presentation of her Maccapani label.
As Angela Missoni reflected: She was equal parts creative visionary and fearless leader my mother. She changed the way we were to dress and how to live.”
A Life Lived in Full Color
Rosita Missoni did not invent knitwear – her legacy is much wider. A trailblazer who started a global lifestyle brand by turning her passions for textiles, design, and family.
Sophia Walker is a fashion journalist who reports on the latest trends, events, and industry news, keeping readers informed about the dynamic world of fashion.
