Angela Missoni talks personal taste: Part Two
The fashion designer sews up her list of likes with surrealist art, elaborate saris from Rajasthan and shopping in Saint Germain
My style icon is my mother Rosita, who at 84 years old is still the chicest person I know. She always looks great – even at the market or at home watching television – with her perfect hair, beautiful earrings and casual yet elegant wardrobe. I have always been a bit wilder in my look but wish I could be as naturally stylish as she is. I also admire Joyce Ma – the 1970s fashion icon who had a great eye for avant-garde design – and Carine Roitfeld who has a very distinctive aesthetic.
The best gift I’ve given recently was a series of three simple gold bangles from the 1950s, to my daughter Teresa for her birthday. I found them at a shop in Venice that was going out of business. They have large charms with the Pope’s face on them and are quite quirky and wonderful.
Practical Madness by Piero Fornasetti
And the best ones I’ve received recently are, from my other daughter Margherita, a cheeky embroidered bra she transformed into a lampshade; a special glass box installation piece from Teresa; and my partner Bruno gave me a Brassaï photograph of a woman’s body in a frame engraved with a design by Picasso at the top. I cherish all three.
The last meal that truly impressed me was at Da Pasqualina, a small rustic restaurant in Murta Maria in Sardinia. The way they cook here is magical – everything is very simple yet delicious, with an emphasis on pasta and fresh fish. The best dish is spaghetti with local sea urchin. Via dello Zenzero, Murta Maria, Olbia, Sardinia (+390789-36808).
The sight that inspires me is the view of the mountains from my home in Sumirago, outside Milan. I always position myself in places with a view, and the Alps as seen from my bedroom are completely reinvigorating. Monte Rosa – or Pink Mountain – is especially beautiful at dawn when the reflection of the sun casts a dusky rose over the Lombard Alps.
In my fridge you’ll always find a selection of cheeses and salami, and a bottle of Vermentino, a white wine from Sardinia. Everything else I like to buy fresh on the day.
The artists whose work I would collect if I could are pioneers of surrealism Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró, whose work I find fascinating. They are far too expensive now, but I’d like the contrast these works would provide with the pieces by Jenny Holzer, Francesco Vezzoli and Tracey Emin that hang in my home.
An unforgettable place I’ve travelled to in the past year is India, and specifically Rajasthan. Everything about this country is magical: the ambience, the vivid colours, the geography, the deep traditions, the delicious food and the artisans and craftspeople who really know the true meaning of luxury. I was fascinated by the different textiles and embroideries, especially the beautiful white cotton dhotis and elaborate saris. The jewellery is magnificent too and at a behind-the-scenes peek at the Gem Palace in Jaipur – an Aladdin’s cave of beautiful things – I saw special marriage jewels and private collections of stunning emeralds and diamonds. Jaipur was a complete sensorial experience, and our stay at the Raj Palace – with its beautiful grounds and impeccable service – was a real highlight. Gem Palace, Shop 348, MI Road, Jaipur (+91141-237 4175; www.gempalacejaipur.com). Raj Palace, Near Jorawer Singh Gate, Amer Road, Jaipur (+91141-263 4077; www.rajpalace.com).
And the best souvenir I’ve brought home is a crystal-encrusted turtle shell from Jamaica. A local artisan transformed this beautiful shell into a charm and I wear it on my favourite summer necklace. It reminds me of a very special time on this island.
My favourite room in my house is my bedroom. I feel as though I’m outside because there’s so much glass and natural light. In the middle of the room there is a huge sliding door that separates my sleeping area from the sitting area and I use it as a kind of rotating photo gallery – it is covered with pictures of my children and grandchildren and gives me great joy.
The people I rely on for personal grooming are the therapists at Violette nail salon in Milan, which my daughters introduced me to. They do a great manicure. Via Panfilo Castaldi 14, 20124 Milan (+3902-2951 9283; www.violettemilano.com).
The books on my bedside table include my father Ottavio Missoni’s autobiography, Una vita sul filo di lana, which I have never read in its entirety and I’ve decided it’s time I did, and Piero Fornasetti’s Practical Madness – a book that was published to coincide with the last exhibition of this inventive designer’s work. I also have stacks of travel magazines – National Geographic, Condé Nast Traveller – because I love to see the world.
If I didn’t live in Sumirago, the city I would live in is Paris, probably in or around Saint-Germain-des-Prés. I love the light and the wonderful food – L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon is a favourite for small plates of gyoza, grilled langoustines and crabe royal. I like exploring the streets along the Seine and ending up at the Gae Aulenti-designed Musée d’Orsay, and my favourite flea markets in the world are here, including the Marché aux Puces and Porte de Vanves; I could spend days there. But truthfully, I wouldn’t live anywhere but Sumirago because I love the country, and as it is I am 15 minutes from an international airport, 45 minutes from Milan, an hour by plane from Sardinia and a two-hour flight from London. L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, 5 Rue Montalembert (+331-4222 5656; www.atelier-robuchon-saint-germain.com). Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen, Avenue de la Porte de Clignancourt (www.marcheauxpuces-saintouen.com). Musée d’Orsay, 1 Rue de la Légion d’Honneur (+331-4049 4814; www.musee-orsay.fr). Porte de Vanves, Avenue Georges Lafenestre (+336-8689 9996; www.pucesdevanves.fr).
If I weren’t doing what I do, I would be an interior designer because I like to create comfortable environments where things are in harmony. The details of this type of work appeal to me and I love to be surrounded by colour, texture and good design.