Yesterday the Missoni family announced that FSI Mid-Market Growth Equity Fund has acquired 41.2 percent of the label, with the Missonis maintaining a controlling stake of 58.8 percent. For the Italian fashion house it’s definitely an important, energizing step forward that will help its international expansion, boosting its creative and business potential. At today’s Spring presentation, Angela Missoni was beaming: “It’s one of the most important goals I’ve achieved in my whole life!” she exclaimed.
The collection she designed for Spring was displayed in the showroom on mannequins standing among a few mighty motorbikes owned by the young Missonis. “It’s a passion which runs in my family,” said Angela. “My late brother Vittorio owned motorbikes of all kinds; he had a huge collection that was handed down to my nephew Ottavio. The Missoni male kids have learned to ride a bike even before learning to swim.”
The sporty theme was woven throughout the collection in a nonliteral way; just a few oversize jackets, cut in bonded leather in warm earth tones, hinted at the adventurous feel of long-distance races in the desert. Otherwise, a sense of breezy lightness was there in soft knitted tunics with elongated proportions, worn layered over leather shorts or drawstring linen pants. The color palette added a touch of the exotic; Missoni’s signature loom-knitted, overdyed fabrics and elaborate geometric jacquard patterns were rendered in sophisticated, muted tones: Dusty rose, amber, golden sand, and olive green exuded an elegant ethnic flair, highlighting the energetic yet balanced character of the collection.
