2012-05-11 16:59 - Agencies
SUMIRAGO, Italy - Mention the name Missoni, and most think of a fashion empire that revolutionized textile patterns, spawned the no-bra look
on the catwalks, and is now a global brand that designs everything from sweaters to sheets to hotels.
But none of it would have happened had it not been for the 1948 London Olympics, where one kind of flame sparked another between Rosita Jelmini and
Ottavio Missoni. She was 16, going on 17, a shy Italian girl in London to improve her English. He was 27, a tall, strappingly handsome member of the Italian
400 meters hurdles team at the Games where the world was trying to put the devastation of war behind it.
In 1948, much of Italy was still recovering from the war's devastation; the Marshall Plan to rebuild the country was in its teething phase and for many, the
London Olympics offered a badly needed chance to cheer national athletes. After she first saw him run at Wembley, Rosita and her school mates were invited
to lunch with the Italian athletes in Brighton. "During the lunch I realized he was so funny. He was handsome but not only. He was clever and intelligent and
with a great sense of humour, which has been very helpful in all our life," Rosita said.
They married in 1953 and set up a small workshop making track suits in Gallarate, near Rosita's home village, and later moved on to knitwear, presenting their
first collection in Milan in 1958 at the dawn of what was to become known as Italy's economic miracle.
Their early work was spotted and supported by Anna Piaggi, an influential editor of the Italian fashion magazine Arianna; and another big break came in 1965
when they made a knitwear collection together with designer Emmanuelle Kahn.
And like they said ... the rest is history!
<a href="http://s1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/?action=view&current=0022190dec45111713ca4a.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/0022190dec45111713ca4a.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
SUMIRAGO, Italy - Mention the name Missoni, and most think of a fashion empire that revolutionized textile patterns, spawned the no-bra look
on the catwalks, and is now a global brand that designs everything from sweaters to sheets to hotels.
But none of it would have happened had it not been for the 1948 London Olympics, where one kind of flame sparked another between Rosita Jelmini and
Ottavio Missoni. She was 16, going on 17, a shy Italian girl in London to improve her English. He was 27, a tall, strappingly handsome member of the Italian
400 meters hurdles team at the Games where the world was trying to put the devastation of war behind it.
In 1948, much of Italy was still recovering from the war's devastation; the Marshall Plan to rebuild the country was in its teething phase and for many, the
London Olympics offered a badly needed chance to cheer national athletes. After she first saw him run at Wembley, Rosita and her school mates were invited
to lunch with the Italian athletes in Brighton. "During the lunch I realized he was so funny. He was handsome but not only. He was clever and intelligent and
with a great sense of humour, which has been very helpful in all our life," Rosita said.
They married in 1953 and set up a small workshop making track suits in Gallarate, near Rosita's home village, and later moved on to knitwear, presenting their
first collection in Milan in 1958 at the dawn of what was to become known as Italy's economic miracle.
Their early work was spotted and supported by Anna Piaggi, an influential editor of the Italian fashion magazine Arianna; and another big break came in 1965
when they made a knitwear collection together with designer Emmanuelle Kahn.
And like they said ... the rest is history!
<a href="http://s1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/?action=view&current=0022190dec45111713ca4a.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/0022190dec45111713ca4a.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
