“Brand repositioning” usually starts with a dive into the archive for a dusting off of a label’s legacy, which is thought to be tarnished and in need of being returned to the splendor of its beginnings. There’s a long list of fashion houses that have undergone such a procedure. Indeed, the process is happening at an increasingly frequent rate amid the pandemic, most recently at Missoni. The decision taken by Angela Missoni to step down from her creative director role to become the company’s president is clearly paving the way for a new course. While awaiting announcements about the brand’s future, the men’s spring collection was developed in-house by the design team.
Scrambling to come up with a credible narrative, today’s brands would do just about anything to get the authentic family history and lifestyle of the Missonis, whose ethos is rooted in culture and independence of spirit. It’s little surprise then that an homage to the house’s maverick founder, the late Ottavio (Tai) Missoni, was in the offing this season. Tai’s pioneering approach was to inject high fashion with the athletic dynamism of sportswear. The hoodies, tracksuits, and denim pieces here were emblazoned with the number of the bib he wore at the 1948 Olympic games in London, where he competed with the Italian team in the 400-meter hurdles, finishing in sixth place. On the same note, sneakers were updated with zigzag fabric details, 3D prints, and a sporty ’90s vibe.
Tai struck a handsome, stylish figure. He dressed with relaxed sprezzatura in patchworked knitted cardigans, which quickly became a hit for the brand. Included in this spring offering is an updated reedition of three styles. Called “the Cardigans,” the capsule reprises the house’s traditional fiammato and zigzag patterns, only amped up in bold color combinations for impact.
Appealing to new demographics is the obvious intention of the repositioning process. The design team is hopeful that a fresher color palette, more dynamic fits, stronger graphics, and heftier doses of logos will entice a young generation of customers towards a new Missoni incarnation. Of course, that generation is already being courted by every other brand in the fashion stratosphere.
