Co-founder of Missoni Rosita Missoni dies at 93

Missoni's unabashed use of colour and signature chevron knit has become a mainstay on luxury department store racks and in the wardrobes of the upper echelons of society all thanks to Rosita Missoni, who Co-founded the Italian knitwear label with her late husband in the 50s. Today, a government official announced she has died at age 93.

Rosita Missoni's death was confirmed by the President of Attilio Fontana, who praised the fashion brand's "famous multicoloured textures".

Fontana said in a statement: "The passing of Rosita Missoni, a Lombard stylist and entrepreneur known throughout the world, saddens us. A great loss for Italy, Lombardy and for the province of Varese where she was born and lived."

Rosita was born in 1931 in the Lombard town of Golasecca. In 1953, after marrying her husband Ottavio, who died in 2013 at age 92, Rosita along with her new husband began creating knitwear from the basement of their new home. It was then that the fashion house Missoni was founded.

Beginning with their debut collection in 1958, the Missonis revolutionised knitwear by combining innovative techniques with a kaleidoscope of colours.

Missoni's big break came in 1958 when department store Rinascente in Milan ordered hundreds of close-fitting striped dresses featuring the Missoni label for the first time.

Over the years, It elevated knitting, putting it on the high fashion map with its multicoloured chevron knitwear. With a focus on craftsmanship and creativity, the label expanded into ready-to-wear, accessories, and home goods. Through generations, the family-owned brand maintains its legacy of playful elegance, remaining a symbol of Italian fashion innovation and luxurious bohemian style.

In 1997, Rosita handed over the reins of the fashion house to her daughter Angela, while devoting herself to the label's home line, Missoni Home.

In October 2024, Missoni announced its Creative Director Filippo Grazioli would step down.

According to the Italian knitwear house, Filippo Grazioli stepped down after just over two years to pursue "new creative and artistic challenges". He will be replaced by Missoni veteran Alberto Caliri, who joined the company in 1998. We await to see who will take Grazioli's place.