Rosita Missoni: “I dedicate this prize to my employees.”

 “I dedicate the ‘Girometta d’oro’ to Ersilia Colnaghi, an employee, or rather a friend, who was with us for 40 years. She was my right-hand, an admired and respected forewoman. She certainly would deserve this award.” Rosita Missoni Jelmini was moved. It is not easy to resist the emotional “parade” of memories, not even for a woman whose name has become an icon in the world of fashion. One morning, her memory was forced to run through an entire lifetime, inspired by a deep love for her husband, Ottavio, by her passion for her job and for Sumirago, the village in Varese Province, where the Missonis decided to found their yarn and fabric company, more than 60 years ago. “We owe our success to this land, because we decided to work where we wanted to spend our leisure time, surrounded by open spaces and lakes,” the designer continued.

In the Estense Hall, in Varese, where the award ceremony took place, Rosita’s brothers, Giampiero and Alberto, her nephew, Giacomo, and her son, Luca, were also present. As the Prefect, Giorgio Zanzi, pointed out, the Missonis are a real family, who embody the values of tenacity, commitment and passion for their work, which are typical of the entrepreneurial dynasties of Varese Province, but also the ability to be there for others, and humility, which are not so common in the world of economics.

In Trieste, it was easier to produce a boat than a sweater, and the Missonis, refugees from Istria, found in Sumirago the perfect environment to begin their entrepreneurial adventure, a few kilometres from the textile district of Busto Arsizio, which is so important that it deserves the title of “the Manchester of Italy”. Here, there is a well-organised production chain and, above all, the workers, mostly women, who know fabrics very well and are able to work the yarns.

The first loan for building the factory came from Mediobanca, of Enrico Cuccia, “the sheriff” of Italian family capitalism. Production took off almost immediately, business went well, but Ottavio Missoni renounced growing in size, and settled for the peace that came from that natural oasis that every day is reflected in Monte Rosa.

Rosita Missoni explains, “My husband wouldn’t hear of going to the banks, like most businessmen; he believed in the small company. For us, Sumirago was a life choice in a beautiful environment, and our identity was more important than size, because if you have an identity, you’re recognised everywhere you go.”

For an entrepreneur, it’s important to believe in young people, and for an entrepreneur whose core business is creativity, it’s essential. And Rosita Missoni, remembering her friend Ersilia who, at the age of only 14, came by bike, to the headquarters in Sumirago from Cardano al Campo, to apply for a job, has some advice to give. “I am privileged because I’ve done, and I still do, a job that is also my passion,” the fashion designer concludes. “We need to begin to have hope and faith in future again, and to do this, we need to invest more in young people and, above all, in their education.”