Fashion United: Italian premium knitwear label Missoni has charted out plans to enter the lucrative Indian luxury market. Elaborating on their India plans, Angela Missoni, Creative Director of Missoni says, “We are planning to enter the Indian market soon. We hope to open by the end of the year or next year. Our first line will have a high end positioning. I don’t believe in special collections but do believe in collections that work all over the world all year round. We have a lot of Indian customers. But if it becomes a bigger market, I will do a special collection.” Enjoying a good market share in Brazil, the brand is known for the uniqueness of its product line, which according to Angela is not found in many luxury brands. “The market for luxury brands is growing in India. We do sell a lot of clothes to Indian women in Europe. Missoni has a lot of potential because of the colors and will grow in India step-by-step. We will start with Delhi or Mumbai and are scouting for partners. The products will be manufactured in Italy,” Angela Missoni adds. One of the oldest family-owned labels, Missoni is known for its psychedelic zigzags. Talking about the brand’s history, Angela Missoni says, “My father used to do knit track suits and today, at the age of 90, he still designs some fabrics for the collection. My great grandfather had an embroidery company. My mother did unconventional things in terms of designs and models. I started my own collection, the Angela Missoni collection. At that time Missoni was a classic label, one could find the history of Missoni in the collection. When I took over, I tried to be fashionable. But had to make do with what I had.” In 2007, Angela Missoni realized that there was a big difference between fashion and luxury. “They can go together but are not the same thing. Fashion needn’t be expensive. But then in 2008, everything was changing. I started wondering how to communicate the values of the brand. Sharon Stone was one of the first Hollywood stars to meet me and I started by giving service to celebrities. An ad campaign works for about six months, while a dress worn by a celebrity stays in the public mind for a very long time,” Angela Missoni explains. There is a licensing agreement between Valentino fashion group and Missoni. The company now plans to enter the hoteling business. “We have a tradition of hospitality in the family, so launching hotels is an extension of that. My mother decides the menu, so it’s very Missoni,” Angela Missoni concludes. Source: Fashion United
