A visit to the Missoni showroom after an endless day of men’s shows can lift the mood of even the most exhausted editor. The atmosphere at yesterday’s presentation was cheerful and warm—the Missonis have a flair for making everyone feel as if they’re part of the family. This disposition extends from the art they collect to the decoration of their homes to how they entertain—and, of course, to the clothes they make.
Of the new men’s collection, Angela Missoni said, “We are inspired by the things we love.” Here it was music, specifically the New York jazz scene of the late ’70s and early ’80s, a liberal moment of cultural fusion and experimentation. The great Miles Davis was at the center of it, and his peculiar style served as a sort of template for the collection. “He was a client,” explained Angela.
Davis’s fashion sense evolved throughout the years, his early predilection for a rather formal attire morphing into a more flamboyant, eccentric, free-wheeling style. “It’s this spirit of freedom and unique self-expression that we tried to capture,” the designer said. “Being eclectic is second nature to us, so we’re naturally drawn to people who respond to this attitude.”
The emphasis was placed on voluminous, comfortable (and comforting) knitted pieces proposed as outerwear, with a riot of archival patterns, patch-worked jacquards, and inventive multi-stitch motifs blending on shawl-collared cardigans, bombers, and oversized blousons. Colors were obviously a feast for the eye, with darker tones setting off a chromatic vibrance that was pure Missoni. Here and there Angela indulged her love of travel. An elegant double-breasted camel coat in felted wool was embroidered with geometric motifs inspired by a carpet bought in Mali, a loose shirt in exclusive pashmina cashmere was printed in the blue and red checks typical of Masai blankets. On a reversible car coat, a twill jacquard had a kinetic ikat effect. “We put together the collection as if it were a musical piece, a rhythmical exercise of blending together the things we cherish.” She added, “Comfort and ease, color and more color, the tactile pleasure of a soft knitted piece and our crazy way of creating a unique mix of patterns.”
