Missoni walks the red carpet

Missoni is to focus on greater red carpet presence by expanding its celebrity services. The Italian company has hired Edward as head of worldwide celebrity dressing and entertainment, a newly created position.

O'Sullivan previously served at Polo Ralph Lauren as global senior director of celebrity dressing and entertainment, and during that time developed a rapport with Hollywood stars including Angelina Jolie, Cate Blanchett, Penelope Cruz, Diane Kruger, Joy Bryant, Emmy Rossum, Kevin Costner, Patrick Dempsey and Jay-Z, reports WWD.

At Missoni, O'Sullivan will be working in both New York and in L.A. Missoni also tapped Polo alum Meredith Keller as senior manager of celebrity dressing and entertainment.

www.missoni.it
7 August 2007

Missoni changes management

Missoni S.P.A. is restructuring its company with a newly appointed CEO, Massimo Gasparini. The company, which last year saw sales climb to 75 million euros, is making big changes, starting at the top. Gasparini, in an interview with Women's Wear Daily stated: "Vittorio, Luca and Angela Missoni realised that, to manage the company going forward into this next phase of development, it was fundamental and necessary to turn to external management.” The family decided to delegate the management of the company to a team.

The Missoni's are also keen to better organise their company as third-generation family members come of age. There are nine heirs to the family business. The eldest, 24-year-old Margherita, is currently studying acting in New York and has a recurring role in Missoni's fragrance ads. As a personal side project, Margherita also is designing a costume jewellery line for Goldsmith's of London.

One of the first changes is taking place is the discontinuation of Missoni Sport. The line, which has been going for 14 seasons, will see its final collection hit the stores in spring 2008. Luca Missoni will relinquish his creative role for both the sport and mainline menswear collection and will focus on events and a Missoni Museum. Vittorio Missoni, formerly director of marketing and sales, now is overseeing "institutional affairs" at the company, acting as an ambassador for the brand at various functions. Angela Missoni will stay at the helm of its womenswear design, as well as menswear and the house's other products.

www.missoni.it
30 May 2007

Missoni Sport photo exhibition

Luca Missoni, creative director of Missoni men’s mainline and the men’s and women’s Missoni Sport lines is to exhibit his first UK photographic exhibition of his collaboration with the esteemed ballet Aeros, next Thursday.

Luca, who also designed the Missoni Sport costumes for the gymnasts-cum-dancers, will curate the works at The Leonard Street Gallery in Shoreditch, East London. The original photos will be on show to the public from 21-29 July.
For more information contact The Leonard Street Galley on 020 7033 9977.

13 July 2006

Missoni Sport at Pitti

Pitti Uomo, the Florentine men’s tradeshow that was once the centre of men’s luxury fashion, may have lost its edge a little – the word ‘conservative’ is frequently overheard, as are hamperings of ‘too Italian’ and ‘Premium in Berlin is the stronger show.’

Still, Missoni Sport last night inspired buyers and press with their Spring Summer 2007 collection, which is now a younger and fresher brand that has successfully, yet slowly, emerged from the shadows of the iconic House’s mainline.

Dresses and soft knits formed the backbone of the collection, which was sophisticated, fluid and fun – as the line should be. Creative Director Luca Missoni showed a lifestyle vision of the brand with the addition of swimwear, underwear and accessories. Guests applauded at the shoes - wedges and Grecian sandals that were worn with urban dresses and sexy cut swimwear. Towelling and beachwear completed the looks.

www.missoni.com
24 June 2006

Missoni M open first boutique

Missoni M have opened their first worldwide boutique in SoHo, New York last week. The sexy, brightly colored line, designed by Angela Missoni, is licensed to the Valentino Fashion Group, formerly Marzotto, and priced well below the Missoni designer collection.
"This neighborhood works great for our product," Graziano di Boni, president and chief executive officer of Valentino USA Inc. said, referring to SoHo's cross-section of customers. "This collection dresses people of different ages and different lifestyles."

Di Boni anticipates the store will generate $1.5 million in first-year sales. "Eventually, it will do much more," he added. "Sales for the few days we've been open have been above our expectations."
M Missoni, which had a worldwide wholesale volume of $45 million in 2005, has been growing for five years, reporting a 25 percent increase in sales last year. The U.S. wholesale market represents 45 percent of M Missoni's business worldwide. Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Scoop and Fred Segal, among others, sell the brand.
Di Boni decided to introduce M Missoni on West Broadway rather than Paris' St.-Germain-des-Pres or Milan's Via Manzoni because "the U.S. market is still unexploited by Europeans," he said. "M Missoni is a little more sophisticated than a contemporary American product. You have a lot of contemporary brands but none with a designer name. This can become a very sizable opportunity in the U.S. and overseas."

Di Boni foresees opening 30 stores or more in the U.S. in Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, Boston and Atlanta. He's also keen on smaller markets that rarely catch the fashion industry's attention, such as Charlotte, N.C., Nashville, St. Louis, and Des Moines. "There's a growing appeal and desire for better products in these places," he said. "Women in these places have much less access to European products. These are places where opening an M Missoni store will be a big deal. The only thing serving these markets is the Internet."

The SoHo store has occasioned M Missoni's first advertising campaign, which was photographed here by Patrick Demarchelier and will bow in the fall. "For the last few years, we've focussed on getting the product, service, deliveries and pricing right," di Boni said. "Now with the boutique open, it makes sense for us to be more visible."

"The opening of this first M Missoni boutique in New York is a result of the outstanding success this line has had in the U.S.," said Angela Missoni, creative director for the House of Missoni. "I conceived the M Missoni line as a collection of wearable pieces, easy to mix and match, made with practical, comfortable materials and designed to be used and reinvented season after season."

"M is a very important line for us," said Vittorio Missoni, sales and marketing manager of the family-owned company. "We're discussing opening stores in China. In Japan, we are reaching an agreement for M with our Missoni distributor. Opening stores in Europe is also in our plan. M has opportunities all over the world, even in new markets, whereas Missoni as the flagship brand needs to be more conservative."

8 June 2006

M Missoni to open own stores

M Missoni, the more affordable line from luxury fashion brand Missoni, is to open its own retail stores.

The line has experienced an average annual growth rate of 50 percent since 2003 and is favoured by celebrities like Nicky Hilton and Jessica Simpson. Licensee Valentino Fashion Group is investing in a new retail strategy in an effort to expand the range, and will open the first M Missoni boutique in New York's Soho this spring. Four more stores will follow later this year in Asia and the Middle East.

“We are opening in the US first because this is M Missoni's biggest market, accounting for 45 percent of sales,” chief executive of Valentino Fashion Group, Michael Norsa told WWD.

This year, the company will also open franchised stores in Bangkok, Kuwait and Jakarta and either in Shanghai or Beijing. According to Norsa “Asia is where the growth is”. Onward Kashiyama will distribute M Missoni in Japan, where there are plans for four shop-in-shops this year and ten over the next three years. Although Asia is responsible for 12 percent of the line's sales, VFG's goal it to bring that percentage up to 20.

Meanwhile, Italy accounts for 27 percent of sales and the rest of Europe for 16 percent. Norsa thinks that the line will generate sales of €30 million in 2006, quadruple the amount in 2001.

M Missoni sales account for 20 percent of Missoni's total sales. The line was first launched in 1999, when the brand decided to focus on women's wear and cancelled its men's wear collection.

At present, the line is sold at 709 sale points worldwide. Major department stores like Galeries Lafayette, Harrods, Selfridges, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman all stock M Missoni, as do 130 specialty stores. Prices range from $495 (£280) to $595 for a dress, $290 for knitwear and between $495 and $795 for jackets. “Our effort is to keep (affordable) prices, with a Made in Italy production,” Graziano de Boni, president and CEO for VGF US, told WWD.

VGF has a long-standing relationship with the Missoni family that dates back to 1985. It produced and distributed the sportswear collection Example by Missoni and the diffusion Missoni Uomo and Missoni Donna lines. “This is more than a license, we are friends with the Missoni family and this helps grow the business,” said Norsa.

www.missoni.com
30 January 2006

Missoni opens boutique hotels

Italian fashion house Missoni is to collaborate with international hotel chain Rezidor SAS by opening a hotel together. In total three hotels will be opened by 2007.

Rezidor's senior-vice president for brand and concept said that eventually approximately 30 hotels would operate under the Missoni brand and would fall in the “four-star plus” category.
Locations of the various properties have yet to be announced, although one of them is understood to be in Dubai.

www.missoni.com
24 November 2005

Marvellous Missoni

Missoni on Sunday celebrated their 50th anniversary with a spectacular fashion show and party in true Italian style. The close-knit family run fashion-house has remained an almost idyllic institution with the 3rd generation successfully taking over the creative helm to continue to lead in its colourful approach to modern fashion.

From Rosita to Vittorio to Angela, a breathtaking body of work from their archives was shown amongst the new season's free-flowing patterns in purple and burnt orange to create an emotional homage down memory lane. At the end of the show a black curtain rose to reveal three panels of factory and production workers all dressed in white, to join in the standing ovation. As one former designer remarked: "that is my history, that is my dress from 30 years ago. I have worked with the best fashion house there is."

The current trend for print and colour has certainly elevated the Missoni status of late. Kate Moss, who is face of the house this season, gives a further retro touch to the famous knits and zig-zag designs. In a rarity of fashion longevity, the prints happily live on.

For UK stockists please contact Mirabel Edgedale on 020 7352 2400.

8 October 2003
Don-Alvin Adegeest

New Agent for Missoni M

UK agent Carrini is to represent Missoni M for spring 2004. Carrini director Solly Godsi said: "Missoni has enjoyed a great comeback in the last few years and we are delighted to represent them with this collection."

The Missoni ready-to-wear, menswear, swimwear and shoes continue to be represented by London top agent Mirabel Edgedale.

For enquiries, Carrini: 020 7436 4030;
Mirabel Edgedale Ltd: 020 7352 2400

8 July 2003