A Missoni Mission

If you’re after quality in design, mesmerizing color combinations and exclusive patterns in the form of prêt-a-porter knits, the Milan-based family-run Fashion Empire of Missoni holds all the answers. This exclusive House, founded by Ottavio and Rosita Missoni, traces its roots to Olympian tracksuit making. Spanning three generations of designers, and with the glamorous twenty-four year old Margherita Missoni set to catapult the family business into a new dimension of the fashion stratosphere, it is clear that this brand will remain a pioneer of style.

Emphasis on breathtaking striped combinations, coming to life in the form of prints and knits, remain as relevant to fashion as in 1953, the year Missoni revealed its first collection at La Rinascente in Milan. Every season a new collection of luxurious dresses, cardigans, neckties, scarves and immensely popular beanies leave onlookers tantalized by an orgy of color and texture, demonstrating pure creative genius and downright originality. The wide range of hats, scarves and gloves make wrapping-up in winter stylish, and therefore most relevant to St. Andrews. So how does the fashionable student wear his or her latest purchase? With pride, passion and confidence as any Missoni item, when paired with simple tones, can readily convey a most capable fashion sense. At Missoni boutiques instruction as to how a garment should be worn is given upon purchase. For future reference then: a knitted hat should be worn at a slant so that only the left ear is covered while Missoni ‘Sciarpe’ should be draped in a naturally flowing manner around the neck.

The fascinating prints and striking colors never clash but mystically harmonize, a reality that perplexes me to such an extent that I find myself making comparisons to Missoni when browsing through any department store. What sets this brand apart is its ability to ooze a cool, collected recognizable ‘Missoni’ look, a look that has been fostered through amazing heritage and has proven capable of transcending the ever-evolving world of fashion. When Missoni described the winter collection as a ‘hypothetical Contemporary Art exhibition’ I thought I could smell pretense. Then I saw…and was amazed.