Missoni's backstory is about making lemonade out of lemons, or more precisely, building a multimillion-dollar business out of knitted stripes.
When Ottavio and Rosita Missoni started making knitwear in the 1950s, they didn't have access to sophisticated sewing machines. In fact, the machines they had could only produce stripes, a pattern more associated with national flags or prisoner chains.
But it wasn't long before the young couple turned their striped sweaters, dresses and knit pants into fashion stars. The stripes later evolved into zigzags, which over time became the signature of the Missoni brand.
Creative director Filippo Grazioli set out to honor those early days of the brand, weaving stripes into long, thin coats, draped or wrap dresses, knotted headscarves and collars, sweaters, and giant dresses made from chubby strips of yarn.
“I wanted to have fun and reinterpret the stripe in a new, more contemporary way,” said Grazioli, who was also inspired by Missoni's first exhibition location, a swimming pool in Milan.
He dressed some of his models in striped swimming caps and incorporated aquamarine and other saturated 1950s hues, such as flamingo pink, into the collection.
The large bubble collars and sweaters were made of thick loops of yarn strips and offset the collection's slender shapes. They also added a comforting touch.
“I liked the idea of creating something protective, something soft and pleasant next to the body, and I really wanted to do it with a sense of humor,” said the designer.
Her playful creations bounced down the runway in clouds of pink and white flamingo, or painted diagonal stripes.
The designs didn't always work. Some of the chunky yarn creations looked like shag rugs, or Muppets, as in a baby blue turtleneck sweater and matching halterneck dress.
Some of the striped coats were also dizzying, looking like overstuffed, upholstered sofas with too many stripes and thick fringe details. Grazioli needs to keep things simple, just like the Missoni did many years ago.
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