Rosita Missoni, one of the founders of Italy’s famous brand Missoni and known as the “colour genius,” passed away at 93.

Rosita Missoni, co-founder of the eponymous Italian knitwear label Missoni, has died. Rosita, whose parents were shawl makers, was born in 1931 in Golasecca, Lombardy. While on a study trip to learn English in London, she met Ottavio—known as Tai—while he was competing in the 400m hurdles at the 1948 Olympic Games. At the time, Tai produced his knit tracksuits, including bottoms with a zip so they could be put on over trainers. Rosita and Ottavio Missoni, who got married in 1953, opened a small knitwear store in Gallarate, north of Milan, and settled in nearby Sumirago, where they built their houses and factories. “When I got married, four sewing machines arrived with my husband,” Rosita told the AFP news agency in a 2016 interview. She and her husband Ottavio founded the luxury brand known for its zig-zag motif and multicoloured textures.  Over the years, Rosita and Ottavio Missoni became known as “colour geniuses” with their products containing kaleidoscopic colours and zigzag lines.

The couple caused a massive controversy 1967 when they put braless models on the catwalk in see-through blouses at a fashion show at the Pitti Palace in Florence. The couple’s designs were briefly banned from the event. The Missoni couple survived this crisis with the support of American Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, fashion editor Anna Piaggi and Joan Burstein, the founder of British retailer Browns. It began to focus on the knitwear designs that formed the basis of their brand. Original knitwear designs played a key role in the brand’s success.

According to the fashion industry magazine Women’s Wear Daily, the famous zig-zag patterns were produced with raschel knitting machines, often used to make swimsuits and blankets.

The couple’s three children, Vittorio, Luca, and Angela, and their grandchildren contributed to the brand’s growth by becoming involved in the family business.

In early 2013, Vittorio Missoni died in a plane crash at the age of 58. In May of the same year, Ottavio Missoni died at 92. Rosalia Missoni also passed away at the age of 93.