The vice of dressing up

La Ottavio Missoni Tapestry Room hosts a sophisticated exhibition curated by the’Missoni Archive, focusing on the deep and fruitful artistic partnership between the illustrator Brunetta and the famous Maison Missoni, a key figure in Italian fashion in the second half of the 20th century.

The exhibition pays a heartfelt tribute to Brunetta, pen name of Bruna Moretti Mateldi, one of the most original and incisive figures on the international illustration scene. Known for her collaborations with leading newspapers and magazines such as the Corriere della Sera, L’Espresso e Harper's Bazaar, the illustrator skilfully documented the evolution of fashion with a concise, elegant style imbued with good-natured irony. Her illustrations transformed the fashion sketch into a dynamic social narrative, capable of capturing the vices, virtues and desires of the female world.

The exhibition traces the close professional and personal bond that united the artist with Ottavio and Rosita Missoni right from the very beginning to Gallarate. Starting with the famous 1958 sketch for the dress Milan Sympathy exposed to La Rinascente in Milan, the exhibition brings together sketches, original illustrations and editorial material. The works demonstrate how the style of Brunetta has succeeded in visually capturing the fashion house’s textile revolution, characterised by graphic patterns, zigzags and bold colour combinations. The highlight of this collaboration is the rare 1981 publication, The Vice of Dressing, an extraordinary visual portrait of 20th-century Italy.