Missoni

Italian fashion house
the fashion house

Missoni is an Italian luxury fashion house based in Varese, and known for its colourful knitwear designs. The company was founded by Ottavio ("Tai") and Rosita Missoni in 1953.

The business was founded in 1953, when Ottavio and Rosita Missoni set up a small knitwear workshop in Gallarate, Italy. In 1996 the Missonis transferred control of the business to their three children: Vittorio Missoni became marketing director; Luca (born 1956) was menswear designer until 2008; Angela (born 1958) was womenswear designer, and took over menswear in 2008 when Luca became responsible for the Archive and Events. By 2005, Missoni earned 60 to 70 per cent of its revenue from womenswear. From 2007 until 2009, Massimo Gasparini briefly served as the company's CEO, setting up a new organizational structure and streamlining its product offer. On 13 September 2011, Missoni made headlines briefly when Target Stores offered low cost variants of Missoni products in their stores and on their website. Most items sold out within 24 hours, there were long queues outside stores and the Target website was overloaded. Some items appeared at higher prices on eBay within hours and Target did not restock.

On 4 January 2013 a plane carrying Vittorio Missoni, then CEO of Missoni, went missing off the coast of Venezuela. On 27 June 2013, the Venezuelan government announced that remains of the aircraft had been found north of Los Roques archipelago. Vittorio's body was recovered along with those of the other passengers. From 2013, designer Patricia Urquiola was responsible for redesigning the label's stores. In February 2014, Angela Missoni hired Rossella Jardini, former creative director of Moschino, as a consultant.

In 2018, the Missoni family sold a 41.2% stake in the company to investment fund Fondo Strategico Italiano (FSI) for €70 million ($82 million), putting the family's share at 58.8%. A year later, Angela Missoni announced plans to list the company at the Borsa Italiana within three years. In 2021, Angela Missoni was succeeded at the helm of the women's line by Alberto Caliri. The following year, Missoni named Filippo Grazioli its new creative director, with Caliri overeeing Missoni Sport and Missoni Home.

Missoni Sport was first launched in 1985 under the creative direction of Luca Missoni. It was initially licensed out to Malerba, brought in house in January 2002 and eventually discontinued in 2007. In 2023, it launched a capsule collection of tracksuits, cardigans, hoodies and sweatshirts in collaboration with soccer player Mike Maignan. In 2012, M Missoni launched its first accessories collection. Missoni later brought the M Missoni line in house in April 2018, selecting Italian manufacturing company Gilmar SpA as a production partner for the line. This followed the expiration of the licensing agreement with Valentino Fashion Group, which had first been signed in 2005. By 2019, M Missoni's sales amounted to around 30 million euros. By 2021, M Missoni was discontinued. In 2021, Missoni signed an agreement with Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Development Company to use its Missoni Home line to decorate the apartments and penthouses of the Urban Oasis, a 38 floor waterfront building under construction by the Dubai Canal.

In November 2005, Missoni and the Rezidor Hotel Group signed an agreement to create Hotel Missoni, with plans to have 30 hotels open or in development by 2012. Two Hotel Missoni branches eventually opened in Edinburgh (2009) and Kuwait City (2011). The hotel agreement ceased in 2014, and the Edinburgh hotel was rebranded as Radisson Collection.

Missoni operated a licence with Children Worldwide Fashion until early 2000s, when it was brought in house with a more restricted product offer. In 2022, Missoni signed a multiyear licensing agreement with Italian manufacturing company Simonetta for the development, production and worldwide distribution of the Missoni Kids line, starting from the spring 2023 collection. and developed and distributed by Max Factor – in 1982,

In 2017, Missoni Baia, Missoni's first venture into residential real estate development, broke ground in the Edgewater neighborhood of Miami, Florida. The 249 unit complex will be completed by the end of 2022. In 2019, the company signed a global licensing agreement for the design, production and distribution of watches with Timex Group.

Over the years, Missoni has commissioned various notable photographers for its ad campaigns, including Juergen Teller (2010) and Alasdair McLellan (2013).

In 2017, Jennifer Lopez teamed up with Missoni along with Women's Cancer Research Fund and Saks Fifth Avenue to set a fund raise for cancer research. Lopez helped promote the $35 limited edition Missoni tees, and the profits went to 12 different cancer charities.