What Missoni is known for April 19 2022

The rumors are true—spring really is here.  Here at Rice and Beans Vintage our spirits are high and after a long winter we’re really looking forward to seeing those daffodils poking their way up through that glorious dirt.    Thankfully, spring can also be a state of mind—and thankfully, Missoni prints are perfect for spring.  Whether it’s a maxi skirt, a pair of wedges, or a cardigan, those multi-colored chevron zig zags just brighten your day.  Love!

Learn what Missoni is know for. Is it those zig zags, which have had an interesting history?  The label’s founders met at the London Olympics in 1948—Ottavio Missoni was a competing track athlete who also designed the wool tracksuits the Italian Olympic team wore, and Rosita Jelmini was in the country for an English language course.  Rosita saw Ottavio compete at Wembley Stadium, they were married five years later, set up a small knitwear workshop in Italy, and the rest is history.  In 1962, the designing couple hit upon what would become the most recognizable aspect of their brand—the zig zag chevron motif.

Not only do we love Missoni’s treatment of color and tone, lengths and layers, we love that it’s been a family business from the very beginning.  Rosita and Ottavio’s three children have been (and are) involved in the family business—the oldest, Vittorio, was head of marketing for the company (a plane carrying him, his wife, and two friends, was reported missing off the coast of Venezuela last year).  Luca, the middle child, would head the Ottavio and Rosita Missoni Foundation, and Angela, the youngest, is still the head designer.  Missoni might not be the oldest brand in the fashion world, but the pride and sense of family (literally) is just as admirable.

Rosita & Tai 2003 from Harper’s Bazaar

Okay, so here’s the plan—let’s all don our favorite Missoni piece (knit dress, ballet flats, long sweater, knee-length skirt), go to the closest florist, buy the biggest bunch of daffodils possible, and not just dream of spring, but live it.

Shop Vintage Missoni Now!

 written by Heather Cox for Rice and Beans Vintage