MILAN – Nearly 75 years after founding one of Italy’s most recognisable fashion houses, the Missoni family is selling its remaining stake in its namesake label.
FSI, a Milan-based private equity fund that invests in Italian companies, will acquire a controlling share in the business, increasing its holding to 73 percent from 41 percent as part of the transaction. Katjes International, a German investment group focused on established European brands, will enter as a minority shareholder with a 27 percent stake.
The financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.
Missoni, famous for its signature zigzag patterns, had been rumoured to be on the block for several years amid reports that the founders were seeking an exit. The family had begun stepping back in recent years, bringing in outside managers to run the company that Ottavio Missoni and Rosita Missoni founded in 1953 in Varese, a town northwest of Milan near the Swiss border, and which became celebrated for elevating knitwear into high fashion.
The deal underscores a broader shift reshaping Italian luxury, where founder-owned brands have increasingly turned to outside investors to fund growth, professionalise operations and navigate a tough global market. Private equity has stepped in, seeking to build value in heritage brands while imposing tighter commercial discipline on businesses long shaped by family control.
Missoni has reported only sparse financial results in recent years. FSI said revenue has more than doubled to €130 million ($151 million) since the fund bought its initial stake in 2018. A public filing lists 2023 revenue at €120 million, up from €96 million in 2021. FSI said it expects operating profit will reach €20 million this year.
The sale announcement comes a week after Missoni’s show at Milan Fashion Week, the third season under designer Alberto Caliri. Like many of its peers, the brand has expanded beyond fashion into areas ranging from resorts to interior design.
Katjes International has previously invested in Italy, taking stakes in food companies Paluani and Sperlari, and holds a stake in beauty company Antica Erboristeria.
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