Angela Missoni unveiled her Fall 2021 collection for Missoni with an immersive film, set to a breathy synth-pop cover of Tears for Fears ’80s hit “Mad World”. The lyrics strike a poignant chord—”All around me are familiar faces…bright and early for their daily races, going nowhere”—as we watch Missoni-clad models wander through empty bowling alleys and abandoned cityscapes. If the pre-pandemic rat race was a “mad world”, what do you call a world that has pulled to a grinding halt?

Missoni Fall Winter 2021
Image: Courtesy of Missoni

It’s a question that is consuming designers this season, who have the unenviable task of figuring out what we’ll want to wear in a totally unknowable future. Like many brands, Missoni are straddling the line between our two states of existence—providing comfortable, unfussy pieces that suit a #WFH lifestyle, while also providing touches of glamorous whimsy to tickle our optimism that “real life” might resume in 2021.

Missoni Fall Winter 2021
Image: Missoni

Cue: Chunky knee-skimming knit cardigans, oversized hoodies, tie-dye tracksuits, ribbed shorts, and loose cashmere trousers—all more than transferrable for life post-lockdown. But of course, being Missoni, the standout pieces were the ribbed knit dresses—sparkling in rust-hued lurex, and worn with slouchy suede boots for an added touch of nonchalant Italian glamour.

Of course, being Missoni, the standout pieces were the ribbed knit dresses—sparkling in rust-hued lurex, and worn with slouchy suede boots for an added touch of nonchalant Italian glamour

Missoni is a rarity in fashion—still a family-owned business, since Ottavio and Rosita Missoni launched in 1953. Angela has spent the last two decades expanding her parents’ vision into a globally recognised mega-brand, and, at 60, is beginning to pave the way for her daughter, Margherita Missoni, to one day take the reigns (Margherita is now 38, the same age Angela was when her mother stepped down to make way for her).

At the root of Missoni’s appeal is consistency—theirs is a devoted fanbase that continues to grow with each new generation. Angela Missoni’s genius is in adhering to that signature brand DNA while also offering something fresh season after season. “I have always had a very strong link to my roots, I know the archives by heart because I have an amazing memory and I was an observer from an early age,” she said in a 2018 interview. “From when I was five years old I remember the shoes, the hairstyles, the images, the people, everything… I am always looking forward, I never look back.”

Missoni Fall Winter 2021
Image: Missoni
Missoni Fall Winter 2021
Image: Missoni