Ottavio Missoni, founder of the fashion brand Missoni that it known for its zigzag pattern, has died. Missoni confirmed the 92-year-old “passed away serenely” on Thursday at his home in Sumirago, a town in northern Italy. Italian media reports he had recently suffered respiratory problems. No other details on his death were immediately available.
Missoni was a teen track star when World War II broke out in 1942. He was captured as an infantryman in El Alamein and spent 4 years at a prison camp in Egypt. After his release in 1946, Missoni returned to Italy and started a line of wool athletic suits with a friend. Two years later he competed in the 400 meter hurdle at the London Olympics. It was there he met his wife, Rosita Jelmini. They wed in 1953 and began producing knitwear for department stores in their basement. They launched the Missoni brand in 1958.
The fashion house is now run by Rosita, 82, and two of the Missoni’s children, Angela and Luca. Their oldest child, son Vittorio, served as CEO until his disappearance in Venezuela earlier this year. Vittorio, his wife, and four others were flying to a small Venezuelan island in January when their plane went missing. The plane has not been found.
Funeral arrangements for Ottavio are pending. Missoni said the arrangements will be announced "soon."
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