Last night, Fern Mallis hosted the matriarchs of the Missoni empire, Rosita and her daughter Angela Missoni, for a 92Y Talk. Rosita, well into her 80s, is now less involved with the brand, but her mark is permanent. Here, the abridged Missoni story, as told to Mallis by the two strong-willed women behind one of the most enduring fashion brands alive today.

Where it all began...
Rosita grew up surrounded by fashion in Italy, where her family owned a textile factory. After the crash of '29, the factory couldn't export products, so a cousin who was a pattern cutter came on board. She joined with one stipulation: she wanted to receive every fashion magazine from around the world. Rosita remembers cutting pictures of clothes from the magazines, and learned how to cut shapes by heart.

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Source: http://fashionweekdaily.com/