��� anni di OTTAVIO MISSONI
��� years of OTTAVIO MISSONI
Federico Ferrari Direttore editoriale, Scripta Maneant
Federico Ferrari Editorial director, Scripta Maneant
Q
uesta edizione del Volume “MISSONI - La Grande Moda Italiana” è dedicata a Ottavio Missoni in occasione dei 100 anni dalla sua nascita, avvenuta a Ragusa di Dalmazia l’11 febbraio 1921. Affascinante come la sua arte, Ottavio ha fatto, insieme alla moglie Rosita, la storia italiana del ’900. Una storia appassionante
caratterizzata da una grande passione per lo sport, dall’amore per la famiglia,
la sperimentazione artistica, l’innovazione artigianale e culturale e da un grande successo, dall’Italia sino al mondo intero.
T
his edition of the “MISSONI - The Great Italian Fashion” is dedicated to Ottavio Missoni on the occasion of the celebration of the hundredth anniversary of his birth (Ragusa, Dalmatia, 11 February 1921). As fascinating as his art, Ottavio made, with his wife Rosita, the Italian history of 1900s. An exciting story characterized by
great passion for sport, love for the family, artistic experimentation, craft and cultural innovation, and great success, from Italy to whole world. Today we celebrate the anniversaries of the Masters of Italian art and culture: Dante,
Oggi celebriamo le ricorrenze dei Maestri dell’arte e della cultura italiana: Dante, Leonardo,
Leonardo, Raphael, to remember the most recent ones. In the same way, it is logical and nat-
Raffaello, per ricordare le più recenti. Allo stesso modo è logico e naturale celebrare un gigante
ural to celebrate a giant like Ottavio Missoni, who has created languages and styles that have
come Ottavio Missoni, che ha creato linguaggi e stili che hanno interpretato il presente e che
interpreted the present, and that today, in their form and attitude, are precious tools for living
oggi, nella forma e nell’attitudine, risultano strumenti preziosi per vivere il nostro tempo rivolti
our time looking towards the future. A human and cultural heritage transmitted by a Man born
verso il futuro. Un patrimonio umano e culturale trasmesso da un Uomo nato cento anni fa la
a hundred years ago, whose intellectual and human legacy lives on with the strength of an
cui eredità, intellettuale ed umana, continua a vivere con la forza di un’idea imperitura che di-
imperishable idea that becomes stronger and more seductive every day.
viene ogni giorno più forte e seducente.
4
5
��� anni di OTTAVIO MISSONI
��� years of OTTAVIO MISSONI
Federico Ferrari Direttore editoriale, Scripta Maneant
Federico Ferrari Editorial director, Scripta Maneant
Q
uesta edizione del Volume “MISSONI - La Grande Moda Italiana” è dedicata a Ottavio Missoni in occasione dei 100 anni dalla sua nascita, avvenuta a Ragusa di Dalmazia l’11 febbraio 1921. Affascinante come la sua arte, Ottavio ha fatto, insieme alla moglie Rosita, la storia italiana del ’900. Una storia appassionante
caratterizzata da una grande passione per lo sport, dall’amore per la famiglia,
la sperimentazione artistica, l’innovazione artigianale e culturale e da un grande successo, dall’Italia sino al mondo intero.
T
his edition of the “MISSONI - The Great Italian Fashion” is dedicated to Ottavio Missoni on the occasion of the celebration of the hundredth anniversary of his birth (Ragusa, Dalmatia, 11 February 1921). As fascinating as his art, Ottavio made, with his wife Rosita, the Italian history of 1900s. An exciting story characterized by
great passion for sport, love for the family, artistic experimentation, craft and cultural innovation, and great success, from Italy to whole world. Today we celebrate the anniversaries of the Masters of Italian art and culture: Dante,
Oggi celebriamo le ricorrenze dei Maestri dell’arte e della cultura italiana: Dante, Leonardo,
Leonardo, Raphael, to remember the most recent ones. In the same way, it is logical and nat-
Raffaello, per ricordare le più recenti. Allo stesso modo è logico e naturale celebrare un gigante
ural to celebrate a giant like Ottavio Missoni, who has created languages and styles that have
come Ottavio Missoni, che ha creato linguaggi e stili che hanno interpretato il presente e che
interpreted the present, and that today, in their form and attitude, are precious tools for living
oggi, nella forma e nell’attitudine, risultano strumenti preziosi per vivere il nostro tempo rivolti
our time looking towards the future. A human and cultural heritage transmitted by a Man born
verso il futuro. Un patrimonio umano e culturale trasmesso da un Uomo nato cento anni fa la
a hundred years ago, whose intellectual and human legacy lives on with the strength of an
cui eredità, intellettuale ed umana, continua a vivere con la forza di un’idea imperitura che di-
imperishable idea that becomes stronger and more seductive every day.
viene ogni giorno più forte e seducente.
4
5
Una vita a colori: OTTAVIO MISSONI Fulvio Scaparro
S
i dice: un uomo vive finché qualcuno lo ricorda. Se le cose stanno così, Ottavio (Tai) c’è, anche se lui e noi avremmo preferito festeggiare il suo centesimo compleanno in presenza e non purtroppo da remoto, per usare termini familiari in tempi di pandemia. Non abbiamo certo bisogno di Zoom e simili per vederlo e farci vedere. Chi ha avuto
la fortuna di conoscerlo ha ben stampato nella memoria il suo bel viso che – non sempre accade – corrisponde a una persona di straordinaria ricchezza interiore. Lo sentiamo talmente vicino che è facile parlarne al presente mentre è davvero arduo, per chi non ha vissuto a lungo accanto a lui, descriverne le infinite sfaccettature di personalità e la molteplicità di esperienze. Chi lo ha frequentato solo per una parte della sua vita si limiterà a ricordarne aneddoti, vicende, trionfi e tragedie di cui è stato testimone. Da questi ricordi si può tentare di ricostruire la vita a colori di Tai come in un puzzle o nei suoi amati patchwork o negli arazzi esposti nel Museo Maga di Gallarate. Non hanno bisogno di ricomporre puzzle i membri della famiglia che hanno vissuto per lunghi anni accanto a Tai ricevendo e dando amore senza condizioni, discutendo, litigando, giocando e sognando insieme. Prima tra tutti l’amata moglie Rosita. C’è uno stucchevole e spesso ingiusto luogo comune che recita: “Dietro un grande uomo c’è spesso una grande donna”. Rosita non si è mai limitata a stare dietro a Tai ma gli è stata anche accanto e non di rado davanti. Se “Missoni” è diventato un nome conosciuto e apprezzato in tutto il mondo lo si deve anche alla lungimiranza e al talento di Rosita, appassionata di moda fin da bambina. Tai
7
Una vita a colori: OTTAVIO MISSONI Fulvio Scaparro
S
i dice: un uomo vive finché qualcuno lo ricorda. Se le cose stanno così, Ottavio (Tai) c’è, anche se lui e noi avremmo preferito festeggiare il suo centesimo compleanno in presenza e non purtroppo da remoto, per usare termini familiari in tempi di pandemia. Non abbiamo certo bisogno di Zoom e simili per vederlo e farci vedere. Chi ha avuto
la fortuna di conoscerlo ha ben stampato nella memoria il suo bel viso che – non sempre accade – corrisponde a una persona di straordinaria ricchezza interiore. Lo sentiamo talmente vicino che è facile parlarne al presente mentre è davvero arduo, per chi non ha vissuto a lungo accanto a lui, descriverne le infinite sfaccettature di personalità e la molteplicità di esperienze. Chi lo ha frequentato solo per una parte della sua vita si limiterà a ricordarne aneddoti, vicende, trionfi e tragedie di cui è stato testimone. Da questi ricordi si può tentare di ricostruire la vita a colori di Tai come in un puzzle o nei suoi amati patchwork o negli arazzi esposti nel Museo Maga di Gallarate. Non hanno bisogno di ricomporre puzzle i membri della famiglia che hanno vissuto per lunghi anni accanto a Tai ricevendo e dando amore senza condizioni, discutendo, litigando, giocando e sognando insieme. Prima tra tutti l’amata moglie Rosita. C’è uno stucchevole e spesso ingiusto luogo comune che recita: “Dietro un grande uomo c’è spesso una grande donna”. Rosita non si è mai limitata a stare dietro a Tai ma gli è stata anche accanto e non di rado davanti. Se “Missoni” è diventato un nome conosciuto e apprezzato in tutto il mondo lo si deve anche alla lungimiranza e al talento di Rosita, appassionata di moda fin da bambina. Tai
7
era totalmente disinteressato alla moda e possiamo ben dire che senza l’intuito e le capacità di Rosita, l’inconfondibile stile Missoni, non sarebbe esistito. Noi crediamo che la vita di Tai potrebbe affascinare anche ragazzi e ragazze che non l’hanno conosciuto. Non è un eroe senza macchia e senza paura, definizione che Tai respingerebbe con la consueta autoironia. Seguendo la ricostruzione della sua vita potrebbero scoprire che non sempre è fondato un altro luogo comune: “chi è incendiario da giovane, da vecchio diventa pompiere”. Noteranno
A life in colour: OTTAVIO MISSONI
che Tai il fuoco lo ha avuto nelle vene per tutta la vita e con gli alti e bassi di ogni avventura ha dimostrato di possedere tutte le qualità che i giovani vorrebbero vedere negli adulti: coerenza
Fulvio Scaparro
tra il dire e il fare, coraggio, forza fisica, libertà di pensiero e di parola, capacità di risollevarsi dopo ogni sventura, curiosità, allegria, senso dell’umorismo, generosità non esibita per chi ha bisogno, amore per l’arte e la natura, culto della convivialità con amici veri non vanitosi e non fanatici, amore per la vita in ogni sua forma.
I
t is said: a man lives on so long as he is remembered. If this is true, Ottavio (Tai) is alive; even if he, and we, would have preferred to celebrate his 100th birthday in person together, and not remotely; to use terms that are now all too familiar during these times of the pandemic. We certainly don’t need Zoom, or similar platforms, to see him
or make ourselves seen. His handsome face is well imprinted on the memories of those who have been fortunate enough to have known him, which also—and this isn’t always the case— corresponds to a person of extraordinary inner wealth. His presence is so palpable that it is easy to speak of him in the present, yet, it becomes extremely difficult to describe the infinite facets of his personality and a multiplicity of experiences to those who have not lived long with him. Those who knew him for only a part of his life are limited to remembering the anecdotes, events, triumphs, or tragedies they witnessed or experienced. From these memories, one can attempt to piece together the colourful life of Tai much like a puzzle, or his much loved patchworks, or the tapestries exhibited in the MA*GA Museum in Gallarate. Those members of the family who lived closely to Tai for so many years—receiving and providing unconditional love, discussing, arguing, playing, and dreaming together—have no need for puzzles. First and foremost, his beloved wife Rosita. There is a cloying, and usually unfair, cliché that states: “Behind a great men, there is often a great woman.” Rosita never confined herself to remain behind Tai, rather she remained at his side, and oftentimes ahead of him. If “Missoni” has
8
9
era totalmente disinteressato alla moda e possiamo ben dire che senza l’intuito e le capacità di Rosita, l’inconfondibile stile Missoni, non sarebbe esistito. Noi crediamo che la vita di Tai potrebbe affascinare anche ragazzi e ragazze che non l’hanno conosciuto. Non è un eroe senza macchia e senza paura, definizione che Tai respingerebbe con la consueta autoironia. Seguendo la ricostruzione della sua vita potrebbero scoprire che non sempre è fondato un altro luogo comune: “chi è incendiario da giovane, da vecchio diventa pompiere”. Noteranno
A life in colour: OTTAVIO MISSONI
che Tai il fuoco lo ha avuto nelle vene per tutta la vita e con gli alti e bassi di ogni avventura ha dimostrato di possedere tutte le qualità che i giovani vorrebbero vedere negli adulti: coerenza
Fulvio Scaparro
tra il dire e il fare, coraggio, forza fisica, libertà di pensiero e di parola, capacità di risollevarsi dopo ogni sventura, curiosità, allegria, senso dell’umorismo, generosità non esibita per chi ha bisogno, amore per l’arte e la natura, culto della convivialità con amici veri non vanitosi e non fanatici, amore per la vita in ogni sua forma.
I
t is said: a man lives on so long as he is remembered. If this is true, Ottavio (Tai) is alive; even if he, and we, would have preferred to celebrate his 100th birthday in person together, and not remotely; to use terms that are now all too familiar during these times of the pandemic. We certainly don’t need Zoom, or similar platforms, to see him
or make ourselves seen. His handsome face is well imprinted on the memories of those who have been fortunate enough to have known him, which also—and this isn’t always the case— corresponds to a person of extraordinary inner wealth. His presence is so palpable that it is easy to speak of him in the present, yet, it becomes extremely difficult to describe the infinite facets of his personality and a multiplicity of experiences to those who have not lived long with him. Those who knew him for only a part of his life are limited to remembering the anecdotes, events, triumphs, or tragedies they witnessed or experienced. From these memories, one can attempt to piece together the colourful life of Tai much like a puzzle, or his much loved patchworks, or the tapestries exhibited in the MA*GA Museum in Gallarate. Those members of the family who lived closely to Tai for so many years—receiving and providing unconditional love, discussing, arguing, playing, and dreaming together—have no need for puzzles. First and foremost, his beloved wife Rosita. There is a cloying, and usually unfair, cliché that states: “Behind a great men, there is often a great woman.” Rosita never confined herself to remain behind Tai, rather she remained at his side, and oftentimes ahead of him. If “Missoni” has
8
9
become an internationally renowned and respected name, this is in no small way due to the imagination, foresight, and talent of Rosita, who has been passionate about fashion ever since she was a child. Tai was completely disinterested in fashion, and we can easily say that without Rosita’s intuition and remarkable abilities, the unmistakeable Missoni style would have never existed. We believe Tai’s life would fascinate even the boys and girls who never knew him. It’s not that he was an untarnished or fearless hero, descriptions that Tai himself would dismiss with his self-mockery. However, following the the reconstruction of his life, they may see that another cliché is sometimes unfounded: “who is incendiary in their youth, dies a firefighter in their old age.” They will understand that Tai had that fire coursing through his veins his entire life, and through all of the ups and downs that come with every adventure, he demonstrated that he possessed all of the qualities that the young would like to see in the old: coherence between what is said and what is done, courage, physical strength, freedom of thought and speech, the ability to lift oneself up after every misfortune, curiosity, high spirits, a sense of humour, generosity not shown for those in need, a passion for art and nature, a reverence for conviviality amongst true friends who are neither vain nor insincere, and a love for life in all of its many forms.
10
become an internationally renowned and respected name, this is in no small way due to the imagination, foresight, and talent of Rosita, who has been passionate about fashion ever since she was a child. Tai was completely disinterested in fashion, and we can easily say that without Rosita’s intuition and remarkable abilities, the unmistakeable Missoni style would have never existed. We believe Tai’s life would fascinate even the boys and girls who never knew him. It’s not that he was an untarnished or fearless hero, descriptions that Tai himself would dismiss with his self-mockery. However, following the the reconstruction of his life, they may see that another cliché is sometimes unfounded: “who is incendiary in their youth, dies a firefighter in their old age.” They will understand that Tai had that fire coursing through his veins his entire life, and through all of the ups and downs that come with every adventure, he demonstrated that he possessed all of the qualities that the young would like to see in the old: coherence between what is said and what is done, courage, physical strength, freedom of thought and speech, the ability to lift oneself up after every misfortune, curiosity, high spirits, a sense of humour, generosity not shown for those in need, a passion for art and nature, a reverence for conviviality amongst true friends who are neither vain nor insincere, and a love for life in all of its many forms.
10
Internat onal Tr umph From the Runway Scandal of 1967 to the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award in 1973
Internat onal Tr umph From the Runway Scandal of 1967 to the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award in 1973
M
issoni’s stripes move in every direction: horizontal, vertical, diagonal, up to
Missonis on a list of the ten European makers of the Best Clothes in the World and, above all,
the very first zigzag—a multicolour stripe shaped like lightning with more
after the presentation of their 1980/81 fall/winter collection, the artistic quality of their work
or less sharp angles. Although this motif could already be glimpsed in the
garnering unanimous praise. Il Giorno headlined ‘They are museum pieces, but you can wear
1966 spring/summer collection, presented at their first runway show at the
them, too’ (Maria Pezzi, 26 March, 1979), while The New York Times praised ‘The Missonis, who
Teatro Gerolamo in Milan with Emmanuelle Khanh, it triumphed in the 1968 spring/summer
have elevated knitted clothes to a form of art…’ (24 November, 1979).
show, which was also celebrated on the cover of Grazia (June 23, 1968). In the meantime, the
Forty years after they began their activity, the reasoning behind the award of the ‘Premio
Missonis were invited to present their collection in 1967 at Palazzo Pitti, where contemporary
Pitti Immagine’ in 1994 offered by ‘Missonology’ is especially meaningful: an ideal lexicon of the
Italian fashion was born. But backstage, just before the models were supposed to step onto
Missoni language that includes the words ‘research, knitwear, stripes,
the catwalk, Rosita realised that they were wearing the wrong colour undergarments for the
colour, imagination, invention, tradition, culture and fashion’. Craft and
featherweight black lamé tops, and so she decided to send them out onto the catwalk without bras, which meant that under the glaring spotlights, which made the clothes seem transparent, the girls looked naked. The baffled management (‘What were they thinking? That the Pitti is the Crazy Horse?’) banned the Missonis from the next season of runway shows, but the clamour and sensation caused by the unexpected nude look—one year ahead of the more intentional nude look collection of Yves Saint Laurent—spread through the front pages of the most famous fashion magazines, and with them the Missoni name. And so a ‘coup de théâtre became a stroke of luck!’ And so the Missonis decided to present their new 1968 spring/summer collection di-
‘The tie between past and present is therefore clear: from the revolution in the name of beauty to harmony as a symbol of everything’.
technical research, transformed by the Missonis into style, were elevated to a new form of art and, even in the most recent designs, the Missoni language never changes, it is updated and renewed, but it always stays loyal to a precise identity. ‘It is clear that my parents created much more than a style; they codified a brand new, revolutionary language that mixed textile research, a primitive graphic style and extremely modern designs. That is why my creative work is about protecting that language, while, however, expressing it in a modern, certainly glossier world, where the hues of the collections
rectly in Milan, in the form of a special performance at the historic Solari pool, praised by the
become protection of nature and the environments that surround
critics as a ‘singular aquatic show’ (Panorama, 28 December, 1967). It was an inspired idea that
me. For me, fashion is a combinatory game that involves instinct, culture and innovation. A
brought them global fame, and official recognition followed close on its heels. In 1969, Diana
vision made up of research, memory, contemporaneity, norm, transgression and a sense of
Vreeland set up a series of meetings for them in New York with the
humour’ (Angela Missoni).
most important buyers, thus becoming their fairy godmother and protector deity from across the sea. After an article written by Bernadine Morris in April 1972 for The New York Times that celebrated their achievement, ‘They make the best knits in the world. Some say the best clothes in the world,’ the next year, in Dallas, Ottavio and Rosita won the coveted Neiman
‘They make the best knits in the world. Some say the best clothes in the world’.
The tie between past and present is therefore clear: from the revolution in the name of beauty to harmony as a symbol of everything.
Marcus Fashion Award because ‘Together, they have dared new dimensions and colour relationships in the use of traditional knitting machines so that they are today the most potent force in knitwear for women and men’ (1973). Their rise became unstoppable when, in February 1975, American Vogue included the
132
133
M
issoni’s stripes move in every direction: horizontal, vertical, diagonal, up to
Missonis on a list of the ten European makers of the Best Clothes in the World and, above all,
the very first zigzag—a multicolour stripe shaped like lightning with more
after the presentation of their 1980/81 fall/winter collection, the artistic quality of their work
or less sharp angles. Although this motif could already be glimpsed in the
garnering unanimous praise. Il Giorno headlined ‘They are museum pieces, but you can wear
1966 spring/summer collection, presented at their first runway show at the
them, too’ (Maria Pezzi, 26 March, 1979), while The New York Times praised ‘The Missonis, who
Teatro Gerolamo in Milan with Emmanuelle Khanh, it triumphed in the 1968 spring/summer
have elevated knitted clothes to a form of art…’ (24 November, 1979).
show, which was also celebrated on the cover of Grazia (June 23, 1968). In the meantime, the
Forty years after they began their activity, the reasoning behind the award of the ‘Premio
Missonis were invited to present their collection in 1967 at Palazzo Pitti, where contemporary
Pitti Immagine’ in 1994 offered by ‘Missonology’ is especially meaningful: an ideal lexicon of the
Italian fashion was born. But backstage, just before the models were supposed to step onto
Missoni language that includes the words ‘research, knitwear, stripes,
the catwalk, Rosita realised that they were wearing the wrong colour undergarments for the
colour, imagination, invention, tradition, culture and fashion’. Craft and
featherweight black lamé tops, and so she decided to send them out onto the catwalk without bras, which meant that under the glaring spotlights, which made the clothes seem transparent, the girls looked naked. The baffled management (‘What were they thinking? That the Pitti is the Crazy Horse?’) banned the Missonis from the next season of runway shows, but the clamour and sensation caused by the unexpected nude look—one year ahead of the more intentional nude look collection of Yves Saint Laurent—spread through the front pages of the most famous fashion magazines, and with them the Missoni name. And so a ‘coup de théâtre became a stroke of luck!’ And so the Missonis decided to present their new 1968 spring/summer collection di-
‘The tie between past and present is therefore clear: from the revolution in the name of beauty to harmony as a symbol of everything’.
technical research, transformed by the Missonis into style, were elevated to a new form of art and, even in the most recent designs, the Missoni language never changes, it is updated and renewed, but it always stays loyal to a precise identity. ‘It is clear that my parents created much more than a style; they codified a brand new, revolutionary language that mixed textile research, a primitive graphic style and extremely modern designs. That is why my creative work is about protecting that language, while, however, expressing it in a modern, certainly glossier world, where the hues of the collections
rectly in Milan, in the form of a special performance at the historic Solari pool, praised by the
become protection of nature and the environments that surround
critics as a ‘singular aquatic show’ (Panorama, 28 December, 1967). It was an inspired idea that
me. For me, fashion is a combinatory game that involves instinct, culture and innovation. A
brought them global fame, and official recognition followed close on its heels. In 1969, Diana
vision made up of research, memory, contemporaneity, norm, transgression and a sense of
Vreeland set up a series of meetings for them in New York with the
humour’ (Angela Missoni).
most important buyers, thus becoming their fairy godmother and protector deity from across the sea. After an article written by Bernadine Morris in April 1972 for The New York Times that celebrated their achievement, ‘They make the best knits in the world. Some say the best clothes in the world,’ the next year, in Dallas, Ottavio and Rosita won the coveted Neiman
‘They make the best knits in the world. Some say the best clothes in the world’.
The tie between past and present is therefore clear: from the revolution in the name of beauty to harmony as a symbol of everything.
Marcus Fashion Award because ‘Together, they have dared new dimensions and colour relationships in the use of traditional knitting machines so that they are today the most potent force in knitwear for women and men’ (1973). Their rise became unstoppable when, in February 1975, American Vogue included the
132
133
“ “Put-Together”:
uno stile
Siamo arrivati a codificare che all’inizio degli anni 70 gli americani hanno chiamato
”
Mescolanze… Quindi… è un mondo infinito!
‘ “Put-Together”:
a style
We have come to codify that at the beginning of the 70s the Americans named
’
Mixtures... So... it’s an infinite world!
Rosita Missoni
“ “Put-Together”:
uno stile
Siamo arrivati a codificare che all’inizio degli anni 70 gli americani hanno chiamato
”
Mescolanze… Quindi… è un mondo infinito!
‘ “Put-Together”:
a style
We have come to codify that at the beginning of the 70s the Americans named
’
Mixtures... So... it’s an infinite world!
Rosita Missoni