DESIGN EXPERT Angela Missoni

– You are the one of The Business of Fashion 500, the most influential people in fashion. How does it feel to be a member? Was it your goal or it just happened and you didn’t expect that? Did it change something?

– Actually, I’m honoured to be in this excellent group of people. And of course nothing changed. I do my job as usual. I am always surprised when I think, that our brand is already almost 66 years relevant in fashion, through the years with the creativity in the hands of three generations of women of the same family. I think we are the unique and recognizable brand, with a special project, with a very special reality. It left almost 66 years since my parents found the Missoni style. Many brands have been reborn, reinvented, but the Missoni style has always been a Missoni style from the beginning till today. Why is it happening? I think the main reason is never to look back, and always look forward to a future. I never go to the archives to do research,

but when I start something new and see connection I can ask some pieces from the archive, because I know it by heart and it could probably help me to give the company even more 22 years.

– Nowadays digitalization changes a lot, how does it help you?

– Digitalization changes a lot, but this industry changed a lot in the past 20 year. Luckily I have

younger generation of children and nephews to help me to keep looking at the world the

way it is.

– Do they help you to understand how to work with Millennials generation, how to reach them?

– Probably, yes. We have never really had problem of age at Missoni, we have always been very inclusive for the older and for the younger people. If you will come to a Missoni Party, you will see very young and very old people getting along together. I hope that Missoni will stay like that forever, because it is very important for me, to keep this inclusivity and this large group of people. Of course the youngest are welcome, for example Margherita, my daughter, is in charge of the Emmy collection. We will present her first collection in June and she’s really successful at it.

– You told about Missoni generations of women. Do you pay a lot of attention to women, to the women’s rights?

– Yes, we have three generations of women, but we do love men and they also work in the company, but not on the creative part. Fashion is a passion of the women of our family. Of course we do care of women, they are mainly run Missoni Company, 80% of the workers are women. So, of course we care.

– You are also well known as women’s rights fighter, is it right?

I am a human rights fighter, and of course women’s rights are included. I realized I was really spoiled as a teenager in 70’s, because I grew up in the open-minded family and thought I have a lot of rights for granted. Later I understood I was wrong when I raised my children. Nothing is granted, you have to keep fighting, to keep the position you have to keep going. And then I told it to my daughter.

– You have to fight for your rights.

– Exactly!

– We are the small team of Numéro Russia and our slogan is to innovate fashion, what will you suggest us?

– I don’t have many recipes or suggestions, but I know that there is one thing, which I think is the

most relevant thing and it changed my life when I understood it. You should realize that you could change your mind without losing your integrity. Thereby you will see the things from another point of view. It is really important, because when you are young, too radical and consider your opinion is the only correct, you can miss a lot. But if you may look at the situation from different angles, you may see other perspectives or even completely change your mind.