April 13, 2017
Ottavio Missoni, founder of Missoni
Known for its multi-colored textiles, Italian fashion label Missoni is the supporting sponsor of an art exhibition that examines artistic expression through color.
The main subjects of “Sogno e Colore,” or Dream and Color in English, are Missoni brand founder Ottavio Missoni and Russian artist Marc Chagall. Curated by the late Mr. Missoni’s son, Sogno e Colore will open in Sicily, Italy on April 14 and draws parallels between the two men’s artistic visions.
Dream and color
Sogno e Colore Marc Chagall Ottavio Missoni will be held at the Ex Convitto Ragusa in the Sicilian town of Noto, named a World Heritage Site in 2002.
The exhibit has been curated by Luca Missoni, the son of Mr. Missoni and Rosita Missoni, the couple who established the family’s ready-to-wear brand in the 1950s.
In a description of the exhibition, the younger Mr. Missoni explains that his father was inspired by the contemporary paintings of Mr. Chagall. According to Mr. Missoni, his father and Mr. Chagall shared similar life experiences and cultural roots.
The textile designs of Mr. Missoni and the paintings of Mr. Chagall both rely on bright, energetic colors, which allows their work to “transmit optimism and happiness.” Both men’s use of color has created a “language genuine and of immediate impact.”
Sogno e Colore teaser
“I always enjoyed the fantastic component of the works of Marc Chagall,” said Luca Missoni in a statement. “His fairytale reality in a dreamlike state, curative memories that break down into colorful worlds communicating an optimistic dimension of life.
“The same can be said of the artistic work by Ottavio Missoni, my father, where his tapestries are made up of colored knit cutouts illustrating his own memories,” he said. “As he describes, ‘...each piece should be carefully observed as it has its own history and individually have their own life.’”
To demonstrate the artistic similarities between Mr. Missoni and Mr. Chagall, Songo e Colore displays Missoni textiles, as well as paintings by Mr. Missoni, alongside the artist’s works to create “a new colorful harmony. A poetic and happy dimension.”
Poster for Sogno e Colore Marc Chagall Ottavio Missoni
Songo e Colore Marc Chagall Ottavio Missoni, running through Oct. 1, is a project by Contemplazioni and is in collaboration with the Fondazione Ottavio e Rosita Missoni. Both Missoni and Missoni Home serve as exhibition partners.
Family remembrance
Mr. Missoni, who passed away in 2013 at 92 years old, was recently memorialized in a Milanese installation.
Milan’s Idroscalo Park is now the site of a tribute to the late fashion entrepreneur.
“Rosa dei Venti,” or Wind Rose in English, celebrates the Missoni co-founder’s desire to explore every direction. A production of Associazione Amici Accademia di Brera with support of the Missoni family, the installation was inaugurated on March 29.
The Wind Rose was originally created by Mr. Missoni in 1986 as a prompt to children to explore the world around them. His patchwork knitted together forms a circle, representing the full 360 degrees available for curious minds (see story).
After the establishment of the Missoni brand, Mr. and Mrs. Missoni explored different creative outlets such as tapestries and home decor. In the 1990s, the pair handed the design reigns over to their daughter Angela.
Missoni took a personal approach to mark Angela Missoni’s 20th year as creative director.
The brand’s spring/summer 2017 campaign was shot at the designer’s summer home in Puntaldia on the Italian island of Sardinia, painting a picture of the playfulness of relaxed living in the Mediterranean. Family is central to Missoni's heritage, making the intimate setting of this campaign a way to invite consumers into a piece of the brand lifestyle (see story).
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