Margherita Missoni could teach lessons in cool. The eldest grandchild (and heiress) of the family behind Italian luxury house Missoni clashes prints like a pro, pulls off turbans with panache and finds the sexy in floor-grazing skirts. When she arrives at the luxe event space at the Bowery Hotel on New York’s Lower East Side, she is relaxed, polite and somewhat quiet, though her presence seems to fill the large room. Dressed in a white T-shirt, pastel Missoni knit trousers, heeled boots and a quirky mix of jewellery—gold drop earrings in the shape of fish (she’s a Pisces), a Louis Vuitton collar necklace and several bracelets, ranging from antique diamonds to traditional Indian beads—the 29-year-old accessories designer admits she has only one prized possession: “My wedding ring.”
Two weeks before our interview for her Holt Renfrew collaboration, Missoni married 27-year-old Italian race-car driver Eugenio Amos in Brunello, Italy. Her dress, a heavenly cloud of organza, embroidery and floral appliqués, was made by “the women who saw me growing up,” she tweeted after the media incorrectly ID’d it as Missoni. Her friend Giambattista Valli provided “couture counselling.” In true cool-girl style, she swapped her tiara and white gown for a gypsy-inspired daisy chain and a blush-coloured version of her wedding dress for the countryside reception. In lieu of gifts, she asked guests to make a donation to OrphanAid Africa, a non-profit organization that helps children and their families through education, health care, family support and basic infrastructure programs. The newly minted Mr. and Mrs. generated over $80,000 in donations.
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