Here's some Italian fashion trivia for you: Though you may have known that house founder Ottavio Missoni was an Olympic hurdler, what you probably did not know was that the first garments made by the brand were, in fact, tracksuits. This bears mentioning because you'll probably be seeing quite a lot of the tracksuits in the new Missoni collection, particularly the one in sparkly blue Lurex. That look had "Instagram hit" written all over it—the only question is, which pop star will wear it first?
Not that this collection was particularly sport-themed. In fact, if anything, it erred in the other direction, introducing rather natty, tailored looks, like a kind of knit shirtdress with pleats or a knit leisure suit. The other standout element was the eye-popping color: Missoni looks tend to be colorful, of course, but the graphic juxtaposition of primary hues against black or white brought that quality into even sharper relief than usual. The artists Frank Stella, Bridget Riley, and Roy Lichtenstein were all name-checked as references, which seemed about right. The most eye-catching of all the patterns, though, was the animalier print on silk extracted from the Missoni archives. It had a cartoony upbeat-ness—like something Wilma Flintstone might wear, while the knit pieces with heavy-duty hooped fringe came off more authentically feral. In general, however, this collection had a cheerful mien and a loose-limbed, youthful sexiness. You could imagine more than a few of these pieces resonating with a new customer. Starting, naturally, with that tracksuit.
