Margherita Missoni is much more than just a stylishly attired party girl. Yes, the bright-eyed and intelligent 23-year-old is sartorially resplendent -- as always -- but she's also down to earth, extremely forthcoming and isn't the type to pull her dress over her head.
The eldest third-generation member of the legendary Italian knit- and sportswear company is lounging casually at Saks, waiting for the party celebrating Missoni's new fragrance to begin. Margherita is the face of the fragrance, and she appears in the campaign, photographed by fashion darlings Mert & Marcus. The fragrance's backstory illustrates the way Margherita takes things in stride: She claims she didn't know anything about it until someone from Estée Lauder called her to come in and work on it. "My mother told me nothing!" Margherita says, smiling. She was already an ambassador for the company at the time, creating an avalanche of publicity and attention for her family's company just by showing up at parties looking gorgeous: Margerita's arrival on the scene has been the biggest PR boon for the company since her mother Angela, daughter of Missoni founders Tai and Rosita, took over designing ready-to-wear in 1997 and reestablished Missoni as one of Milan's chicest and sexiest labels.
Margherita grew up in the Italian countryside, spending weekends in Milan. Consequently her fashion education had more to do with factory visits than with Fashion Week and photo shoots. "I wasn't aware of the glamorous side until later," she explains. Still, she attended her first runway show when she was only two weeks old. Whatever the case, style superstars like her are born, not trained. Her natural star quality and style set her far apart from the pack of fashion It Girls.
She doesn't seem remotely self-absorbed and spends more time talking about her studies than her press coverage. "My teachers said, 'You should do something serious.' My mother said, 'You need to do something creative.'" That juxtaposition explains the seemingly conflicted subjects of her studies -- philosophy and acting. "I'm not seeking fame," she says of her acting, "I don't care where [I act], not even big movies." It's the acting that brought her to New York. "The best schools are in New York, and it's the best place to live when you're 20. New York pushes you to be productive, not just dream." New York is also one of the nightlife capitals of the universe. Margherita takes advantage of that, leaning more toward lounges with good music as opposed to hot-spots. She also likes theater and art exhibits.
