It’s a new day at M Missoni. For years, this lower-priced line operated as a license, related to the Missoni clan more in name than in deed. Now it’s back in the family, and Margherita Missoni—daughter of Angela, who designs the main line, and granddaughter of Rosita, who’s in charge of the home collection—is its creative director. The project was a long time in development (Margherita was appointed last October), so a low-key launch was not what she had in mind.
Picking up on the trend of fashion experiences, she booked a sidewalk café; hired hip-hop dancers; stocked a newsstand with branded M Missoni T-shirts, scarves, and macramé iPhone pouches; and took us all on a tram ride around the center of Milan. At each stop, more M Missoni–clad models hopped on. It was an eclectic bunch, 70-some people of all ages, colors, and sizes cast from the street, along with friends of the family, such as Bianca Brandolini d’Adda, Elisa Sednaoui, and Jessica Hart. By the end of the ride, it was a regular M Missoni clown car, stuffed to bursting with an energetic, playful mix of space-dye, tie-dye, the famous house zigzag pattern, and a surprising amount of prints.
Margherita said her project started with research: “I discovered in this process how much bigger Missoni once was. I wanted to give new life to discarded parts of the house heritage.” In some cases, she meant that quite literally. She used yarn from the stockpiles left over from previous seasons for knitwear. Other pieces were fashioned from fabrics originally made from the company’s home collection. A black-and-white print that looked not unlike Keith Haring’s iconic scribbles was drawn by her late grandfather Tai.
What distinguished it all from the main collection—and what will make it successful—was its everyday-ness. These weren’t empty runway gestures. Margherita came across a comment her grandfather once made—“In the future, everyone will wear a tracksuit”—and kept it in mind while developing the pieces, but there was much more on offer besides tie-dyed sweaters and logo track pants. The magic was in the mix: a sequined tank dress over a striped ribbed sweater, a windowpane blazer worn with Lurex-shot crocheted pants, a mixed-floral midi skirt topped by a shrunken knit cropped well above the navel. The collection will be available in sizes XS to XXL, meaning that men will be able to fit into it if they want to. From that decision to the circularity angle, Margherita made a big impression with this little-sister line relaunch.
