How the Missoni family fashion house unravelled
by Silvia Sciorilli Borrelli · Australian Financial ReviewSilvia Sciorilli Borrelli
Sep 17, 2026 – 4.00pm
The Missoni family were once as emblematic of their namesake brand as the instantly recognisable knitted zigzag prints and kaleidoscopic beachwear they sold around the world. Noisy, elegant and effortlessly close, embodying an optimistic vision of both postwar Italy and la dolce vita, for decades assorted generations worked in boardrooms and design studios for the business, appeared in advertising campaigns or mingled on the fashion week front row.
But Missoni never quite converted its cachet into a luxury empire like accessories-oriented rivals Gucci and Louis Vuitton. Destabilised by family tragedy, a complex licensing structure, creative mis-steps and ultimately lacking the scale or commercial firepower to compete as the industry consolidated around billion-dollar brands, Missoni’s cultural influence eventually far outstripped its commercial success.
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