Over 50 years have passed since Ottavio and Rosita Missoni first started producing their knitwear, creating their designs by using just two looms, and over three decades have gone since Milan officially became the Italian capital of prêt-à-porter.
Fashion and Milan have changed throughout all these years, but it's symbolic that while many Italian industries are struggling to find ways to get out of the crisis, creative director Angela Missoni is looking for a solution to our troubled times in the history of her family's business.
When Ottavio and Rosita first presented their knitwear at Florence’s Palazzo Pitti in the late 60s, they charmed the American buyers who dubbed their creations as "put together" designs, to highlight how Missoni's garments allowed customers to freely create their own style.
People could indeed pick and mix jumpers and trousers, skirts and tops, and create perfectly coordinated or uncoordinated outfits following their personal taste.
This was Missoni's main strength and Angela successfully went back to it, keeping firmly in mind that, in the middle of the financial crisis, customers are mainly looking for high quality, versatile garments with a timeless quality about them.
Basing the collection on a palette of cream, soft mauve, nude and peach, alternated to pale and dark blues and warm browns, Angela sent out on the Missoni catwalk models clad in multi-layered styles.
Superficially the different layers seemed to be put together in a rather careless way, but nothing was actually casual: maxi-cardigans were paired with cashmere leggings; tweed shorts with matching jackets, blouses or jumpers.
Wool, Lurex and fur
were cleverly mixed together, intarsia created interesting decors and cobweb-like
dresses added a touch of freshness to Missoni’s more traditional looks.
One item stood out, though, the “boyfriend's” jacket or coat – an oversized item of outerwear that wrapped up the body cocooning it.
Soft berets, multiple gold necklaces, shoes covered in matching fabrics, long trailing
scarves and thick hoods completed the looks, the latter were worn
like thick veils for luxuriously urban Madonnas.
There was only one fault in the presentation of the catwalk: Italian journalist Maria Pezzi once stated that to pay homage to Missoni’s creations, you shouldn't really describe them with words, but let drawing illustrate their trademark colourful patterns and geometries.
Pezzi was right and, unfortunately, while proving that "put together" fashion really works, Angela Missoni hid some of the most beautiful, graphic and colourful pieces in the collection by layering too many garments one on top of the other, eclipsing in this way those iconic Missoni patterns that, as the New York Times's Bernadine Morris once said "elevated knitted clothes to a form of art".
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