Ottavio Missoni, founder of one of the world's most famous brands, had died at his home in Sumirago, Italy late last week. He was 92. In a statement, the brand said its founder passed peacefully, surrounded by his family. While no cause of death was given, WWD reported that Ottavio had been hospitalised for a cardiac impairment on May 1, but was released on the same day. It's another piece of sad news for one of fashion's most iconic families: just four months ago, Ottavio's son Vittorio vanished in a plane disappearance, and he has not been found. Though there were sad moments in Ottavio's near century on Earth, there were also groundbreaking and iconic moments, too — both personally and professionally. In addition to being a skilled designer and textile innovator, Ottavio was also an Olympic athlete, a soldier, and one of the most elegant men in the world. A look at his life and accomplishments, here in the gallery.
Everything You Could Possibly Want to Know About the 2013 Met Gala
The 2013 Costume Institute Benefit for the Metropolitan Museum of Art (or the Met Gala, as most of us know it) is just one sleep away, and as the star-studded event to celebrate the Punk: Chaos to Couture exhibit draws closer and closer, more details about who's wearing what, who's sitting where, and how to purchase a piece of the magical evening have emerged. Keep checking back for frequent updates, but in the meantime, a rundown of everything — and we do mean everything — you will need to know about the gala, here.
Christian Lacroix to Design For Schiaparelli
At long last, we know which designer will guide Schiaparelli back into the marketplace: Christian Lacroix. Lacroix will design a 15-piece collection for the house that's set to debut in July. This capsule is the first of what the house is calling a "long series of artist contributions," implying that other designers will create similar collections in the future. But in a statement, Schiaparelli made it clear that it "will also develop collections by the future artistic director of the Schiaparelli maison." Recent rumours have pointed to Marco Zanini of Rochas as a possibility for that position, but who will actually get it remains to be seen. For now, Lacroix — who showed his final couture collection in 2009 — said he wanted to "reposition Elsa at the centre of her maison and on the stage from which she once seduced the world." The collection itself, according to the brand, will "pay homage to the Schiap legend by interpreting her iconic creations while perpetuating her timeless image." Photo courtesy of Schiaparelli.
Kate Bosworth Is First to Wear Topshop's Not-Yet-Released Festival Line
Among Coachella's best-dressed A-list pack, Kate Bosworth certainly ranks high, and it has a lot to do with her day-one look. The blonde actress hit the fairgrounds in a scalloped white leather shorts set that not only proved fresh and just a tad bit girlie, but also — thanks to the all-over laser-cut perforations — supplied a new way to wear white this Summer. The best part? This outfit comes courtesy of Topshop's not-yet-debuted Festival collection, which promises a 360-degree campaign dedicated to the music, clothes, film, and attitude of the British music festival scene. And who better to test drive the festival lineup than a bona fide cool girl (that just so happens to have her own ties to Topshop, too)?
We love that she stuck to her signature "less is more" styling approaching, adding only the minimum in festival-going necessities. Her tan shoulder bag, aviator sunglasses, metal-tipped ankle boots, and Jennifer Fisher cuff were the only accessories thrown into the mix. As for actually getting our hands on her Topshop Festival combo, we're counting the days until we hear more about this unreleased collection — stay tuned.
But I Still Call Australia Home: RM Williams Bought By LVMH
When you think of iconic Australian brands, it doesn't come any more ridgey-didge than RM Williams. The heritage brand, which has been outfitting the Australian bush since 1932, has been acquired by L Capital Asia, an equity fund set up by international luxury conglomerate Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy. LVMH purchased a 55 percent stake in the private company for a reported $50 million. WWD reports that major stakeholder Ken Cowley, an ex-senior executive at News Corp, was looking for a business partners to grow the brand internationally — and he will retain a stake in the company under the new deal. Fears that LVMH will move the South Australian production of the brand's iconic hand-made boots off-shore have been quelled by BRW, and for the sake of Dion Lee we hope they're right. During fashion week, Dion teamed his entire new season collection with RM Williams' pointed-toe Millicent boot, and already we've heard that industry types are already putting in their ($410) orders online. Who needs LV when you've got RM, right?