Angela Missoni Always Travels With Lemons, Does Not Make Lemonade
Missoni’s creative director was on hand at the Italian heritage label’s Madison Avenue boutique this week, where we spoke with her about the iconic brand’s new art initiative and her own sartorial preferences, from her travel essentials (lemons) to style pet peeves.
Being the heir to Missoni, one of the most famous fashion brands in the world beloved for its iconic zigzag motifs, Angela Missoni’s appreciation for modern art has been engrained in her DNA. While she continues to redefine and reinvigorate the essence of the brand, she has begun to uncover it’s rooted relationship to the arts by launching Surface Conversion, a new art initiative that merges contemporary culture, modern art and fashion design.
“I’ve always wanted to do a project in our Madison Avenue space. I have many friends in art whose work I love and want to showcase,” said Missoni, who celebrates her 20th year as the brand’s creative director next year. “Finally, I made it and I thought to look for artists who are based in New York, but not strictly American artists.”
The first series in Missoni’s project was unveiled Wednesday night at the Madison Avenue boutique in New York. The exhibition features the work of the Swiss-born, Brooklyn-based artist Servane Mary, who reconfigured appropriated press images of women from the 1940s to the 70s. Missoni creatively displayed Mary’s images on glass light boxes throughout the boutique.
“I really wanted to create a destination for discussion on contemporary art in various fields,” said Missoni. Future displays, as she explained, will feature various artistic mediums like cinema, literature, visual arts, architecture and design. In between greeting her party guests, like Gilles Bensimon and Pat Cleveland, Missoni took a moment to share her style essentials with us, from what she always travels with to the most prized items in her closet.
How do you describe your style? I don’t know what it is anymore. I think I put it all in my work now more than on myself. There’s a romantic side to my style with a certain coziness. It’s comfort wear, like comfort food. Not in terms of feeling slouchy, but it makes you feel good and at home.
Favorite stores in Milan? I love all the streets in Via Monticelli. I like to shop at Wait and See – a little store by Corso Commo, Galleria Rossana Orlandi and the Sunday flea markets.
Daily uniform? It’s usually sneakers, colorful shirts and easy trousers.
Style icons/inspiration? What really inspires me about women is their strong personalities and how this translates into their style. I would have to say that my mother, Rosita Missoni, is number one on my list.
Style pet peeve? Bra straps showing.
Last purchase? Anjelica Huston’s biography.
Something you never leave home without? Mascara.
Travel essentials? A lemon squeezer and a few lemons to squeeze into my hot water first thing in the morning.
Something you would never wear? A raincoat – I don’t love the rain.
Most prized possessions in your closet? Two oversized Missoni cardigans from the ’90s.
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