35 posts tagged "Missoni"
Ottavio Missoni R.I.P.
Ottavio Missoni, who, along with his wife, Rosita, founded the house of Missoni in 1953, died this morning at the age of 92. A man of many talents, Mr. Missoni competed in the 1948 London Olympics as a hurdler before launching his colorful Italian knitwear brand. In fact, that’s how the seeds for the Missoni label were planted—Mr. Missoni designed knit tracksuits for athletes, which were worn by the Italian Olympic team. Mr. Missoni was said to have passed in his home, surrounded by his family. He is survived by his wife; his daughter, Angela; his son, Luca; and his grandchildren. His third child, Vittorio, went missing in Venezuela this past January.
Margherita Missoni: Bag Lady
Margherita Missoni is pretty busy these days. Not only is she five months pregnant and working on a book to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the Missoni house, but next month the 30-year-old will launch the first collection of Missoni handbags designed completely in-house. “The most recognizable, iconic elements of Missoni are colors and knitwear,” said Ms. Missoni. “But those are not elements that could make a consistent handbag collection, and we wanted to create bags that would be able to stand on their own,” she added. The resulting Pre-Fall collection, which was created under the direction of Ms. Missoni and hits stores mid-May, features practical leather and suede totes, satchels, and slouchy square handbags in black, tan, and the house’s signature rust.
Indeed, Ms. Missoni’s designs are easy to wear and, perhaps, less punchy than the house’s typical vibrant knits. But fret not—the new wares still (subtly) boast the brand’s staples. For instance, Ms. Missoni told us that her grandfather sketched out a special zigzag pattern that’s found on each handbag’s jacquard lining. And the pyramidal studs on our favorite black style (above) are actually a reconstructed zigzag shape. “For the summer, we’ll bring back some more Missoni colors, and we’ll start to introduce more fabric where it makes sense,” said Ms. Missoni. The designer hopes the Italian-made bags will become “classics” that will appeal to different women in different ways. And even though Missoni’s latest additions, which range from $1,760 to $5,890, haven’t yet hit the shelves, they’re already turning heads. On her latest intercontinental flight, a fellow passenger asked Ms. Missoni where she bought her bag. “I told her it was Missoni, and she said, ‘I didn’t know they made handbags.’ So I said, ‘They do now!’ ”
Baby’s First Warhol
For any Dior-wearing mothers wondering how to coordinate Raf Simons’ Fall ’13 Warhol-print shifts and bags with their baby gear, Bugaboo has the answer. Today, the stroller brand announced that they’ve launched a multiyear collaboration with the Andy Warhol Foundation—the first installment of which will hit stores in May. Having previously released fashion-forward strollers with the likes of Missoni and Viktor & Rolf, Bugaboo’s debut Warhol project features the artist’s 1946 “Flowers” series and his 1962 “Cars” series. The painterly prints will appear on canopies tailored for the Bugaboo Bee, Bugaboo Cameleon, and Bugaboo Donkey-style baby carriages, and will even grace a little parasol. Where stylish moms are concerned, Mr. Simons’ Warholian wares may have met their match.
Bugaboo’s collection of Andy Warhol stroller accessories ranges from $69.95 to $109.95 and will be available at Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale’s this May.
The Kids Are Alright
London’s latest fashion week was really only two days—presumably so the models could get back to their naps and their homework. Yes, this week, London hosted the inaugural Global Kids Fashion Week (GKFW), sponsored by the children’s e-tail powerhouse AlexandAlexa (think Net-a-porter for kids).
At Tuesday afternoon’s big launch event, held in the Freemasons hall in Convent Garden, Amber Le Bon spun the tunes, whilst Jodie and Jemma Kidd, Portia Freeman, Charlotte Tilbury, and more came out with their kids to check out models cartwheeling, skipping, and crying their waydown the catwalk. Meanwhile, front row yummy mummies tried to restrain their toddlers from clambering onto the runway (with limited success). It was an exuberant, carnival-like, laughter filled affair complete with a giant bubble machine, popcorn, and temper tantrums backstage. (“So”, remarked one harried hairstylist as her model screamed out while having her hair teased, “not that different from the grown-up shows, then.”)
Participants in GKFW included Chloé, Little Marc Jacobs, John Galliano, Kenzo, Fendi, Missoni, Ralph Lauren, Roberto Cavalli, Little Paul & Joe, Kenzo, Marni, and many more, with ticket proceeds of the sold out event going to Gwyneth Paltrow’s favorite charity, the Kids Company. Consumer and fashion overload? Perhaps. But there’s no denying the fiscal strength of the high-end children’s clothing market. And by the end, most cynicism was brushed aside. As one fierce seven-year-old stomped down the catwalk in a quilted, structured plaid dress from Junior Gaultier, our fashion instinct clicked in. Hmm. Wonder if we fit into the kids’ size twelve.
Mini Missoni
It’s official: There’s a baby Missoni on the way. Margherita is expecting her first child with husband Eugenio Amos. We have a feeling there will be lots of zigzag onesies in this little bambino’s future.