The sustainable little sister of the famed Italian brand chose La Brea to debut its fall collection using upcycled discarded fabric and trademark pizzaz
Words by ELIZABETH VARNELL
Photography by MARK GRIFFIN CHAMPION
A double-decker open-top tour bus, painted in Missoni’s unmistakably bold colors motors into Los Angeles’ most storied fast food stand, Pink’s Hot Dogs. As a branded inflatable air dancer looms overhead, Maye Musk in body-hugging lurex elegantly strolls across the parking lot while street-cast dancers body roll on the dance floor.
At the helm of this Italo-disco pop-up extravaganza is Margherita Maccapani Missoni, who explains that she devised each of her 65 looks from repurposed deadstock and the myriad bits of fantastically chic yarn the house and its suppliers have accumulated over the years. Her first fall collection for her family’s label M Missoni, which she took over less than two years ago, is a joyous, unisex and multigenerational mix of eye-catchingly inventive sportswear.
Throughout the space, models — including Langley Fox and Jessica Hart — shake it dressed in sweatshirts, skirts and pants adorned with vintage Raschel knit fabric — Margherita’s version of authorized appropriation — just blocks from L.A.’s storied trove of second-hand and resale shops. In fact, with Margherita in charge, M Missoni is resurrecting over 2,600 feet, and counting, of the house’s signature multicolored zigzag pattern in new designs, setting an example for fashion houses the world over.
“I like to work on the B-side of things, the leftovers, the discarded parts,” Margherita says. Right in the middle of the dance party is the company’s creative director — and Margherita’s mother — Angela Missoni, who marvels: “This began with a tram in Milan,” referring to her daughter’s first M Missoni show, staged last year on the Italian city’s venerable streetcars. While proudly snapping pics, Angela applauds her daughter’s use of public transport for her presentations, a metaphor for the democratic second line. “Seeing everyone step out of the bus, there’s a sense that anybody can wear it,” she says of the fall looks. Margherita agrees. “M is meant to be a dialogue that’s changed by everyone who comes across it. They make it work for themselves,” she explains.
“We have a free-spirited heritage, and I wanted to capture that unpretentiousness in an eccentric and fun way,” Margherita says. Cue the “Mmerica” billboards, zigzag-patterned hot dog trays (including vegan options), printed silk pajamas, pops of dayglow eyeshadow and Beatles tunes on the turntables at Pink’s — all ingredients for a street party to remember, from a brand placing style and sustainability at its core. Brava!
Feature image: One of the M MISSONI models tap dances as the others look on.
Feb. 6, 2020
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