Alberto Caliri was appointed Missoni’s creative director after Filippo Grazioli’s departure in October. A veteran of the brand, Caliri has been with Missoni since 1998, starting as a fabric designer and serving as Angela Missoni’s righthand man. In 2021, he briefly stepped in as interim creative director, designing two collections before being succeeded by Grazioli and transitioning to oversee the label’s home collection. Now, he has officially taken the helm of a label he knows inside out. At a pre-fall appointment, the down-to-earth Caliri appeared utterly unfazed by his moment in the spotlight.
Despite his deep understanding of Missoni, his approach to its heritage is largely instinctive; he revealed that he has never explored the archive with any reverential or analytical focus. He embraces a straightforward, unfussy style rooted in his confident knowledge of the technicalities of knitting, where the artistic interplay of yarns and colors creates fabrics unique in their peculiar texture. “Missoni’s sense of color has a richness and depth that I want to revitalize,” he explained.
In his thorough—though slightly delayed—exploration of the archive, he discovered that the colors were significantly darker and less vibrant than what Missoni has become known for in recent times. Beyond the signature zigzag patterns, the archive revealed a variety of stripes, tartans, and intricate jacquards, which he described as “rather complex.” Moreover, Ottavio Missoni’s spirit and his masculine sense of insouciant comfort echoed strongly in the women’s collections. He said that they featured greater structure and reduced layering—an approach he aims to reintroduce, along with a sense of lightness and “a collage of diverse possibilities.”
For pre-fall, he broadened the range of tailoring and outerwear, leveraging the malleability of knitwear to infuse suits, cocoon coats, and trench coats with a quotidian versatility. The eveningwear was particularly compelling, featuring sensuous slip dresses in soft striped lurex that skimmed the body, alongside plissé gowns designed to be worn with the ease of luxurious pajamas.
Caliri’s experience is certainly reassuring; striving to balance practicality with artistic flair makes sense as a method to refresh Missoni’s idiosyncratic visuals. However, to captivate younger audiences and increase market traction, he should also inject a sense of excitement and some bold gestures to reinvigorate the brand’s appeal.
