Missoni
MILAN, February 29, 2004
By
Last season, the house of Missoni celebrated its golden jubilee with a spectacular parade of outfits representing 50 years of vibrant creativity. For fall, Angela Missoni, who has inherited the mantle of many colors from her parents, company founders Tai and Rosita, had clearly been inspired by that rich summation.In a season dominated by the eclecticism and luxe bohemianism that is the house signature, Missoni evoked both ladylike Camelot elegance—Lurex-knit sheath dresses complete with velvet clutch purses and upswept hairdos—and the hippie looks that first put the label on the map in the early seventies: swirling Art Nouveau prints, knit capes, fringing, and chiffon palazzo pajamas. Capes were a strong theme, from the short zigzag-knit number in Neapolitan ice cream colors that opened the show (over short shorts) through the chiffon minidress with a floor-length fringed cape in back. Giant silk cabbage roses worn on chokers at the neck or pinned to the hip were a pretty touch (and ready for a Sarah Moon close-up), although knee socks worn with the high-heeled court shoes were definitely not.
Missoni's stylish furs cleverly referenced the house's trademark knits, as horizontally banded mink or fox coats were subtly graduated from collar to hem in tones from black to white or arctic to red, respectively. Organic, Lava Lamp appliqué details recalled the wacky spage-age looks of Pierre Cardin, currently the subject of a retrospective at Carla Sozzani's Corso Como gallery. With true pan-generational appeal, the show included pieces suitable for Rosita Missoni, as well as looks that were perfect for her granddaughter, It girl Margherita.
Dramatic evening gowns in colored Lurex or vibrant kaleidoscope prints, suspended from jeweled halters, suggested Sharon Stone¿s va-va-voom wardrobe in Casino, while a fringed knit dress looked as though the model had wrapped herself in a gypsy shawl—a dramatic gesture worthy of the Belle Époque dancer Loie Fuller, actress Eleonora Duse, or society beauty Consuelo Vanderbilt, all of whom Missoni cited as influences.
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