Patterns of the past: inside the Italian home of Margherita Missoni
By Think of Missoni Home and zigzag cushions, patterned poufs and kaleidoscopic curtains probably come to mind – but not if Margherita Maccapani Missoni has her way. The third-generation designer of one of Italy’s most famous fashion dynasties has been brought back into the fold to relaunch and pick up the creative-director reins of the M Missoni fashion label – and her idea for the brand? To re-purpose vintage upholstery fabrics, never-seen-before prints and retro designs from her family’s near 60-year-old archive into wardrobe staples for a new generation.
“I researched press clips, memorabilia, colour cards, everything that had been Missoni and I realised we lost bits that are so relevant for today,” says the designer, whose mother, Angela, currently designs the main Missoni line. Margherita clearly revels in the discovery process that her new position affords – discovery being the operative word.
As she opens the door to her home office in Varese, an hour northwest of Milan, 15 minutes from the Missoni HQ and where the direction for this bold rebranding was birthed, it becomes clear that there’s no person better suited to breathing new life into old treasures.
If you’re one of her 160k followers on Instagram , you’ll know that Margherita is never happier than when sifting through bric-a-brac at a vintage flea market to rescue lost relics. Her office is in the house she had built two years ago with her husband, the racing-car driver Eugenio Amos, which they share with their sons Otto, six, and Augusto, four. Step into it and it is as though her eclectic account has sprung to life.