Rosita Missoni, co-founder of an Italian knitwear label, has died

Rosita Missoni, co-founder of the eponymous Italian knitwear label Missoni, has died aged 93.

The news was confirmed by the president of Italy's Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, who praised the brand's iconic “multi-coloured textures”.

He described her death as “a great loss for Italy, Lombardy and the province of Varese, where she was born and lived”.

Rosita founded the luxury brand – made famous by its zigzag motif – in the northern Italian region with her husband Ottavio in 1953.

Rosita, whose parents were scarf makers, was born in 1931. in the town of Golasecca, Lombardy.

While on a study trip to learn English in London, she met Ottavio – known as Ty – while he was competing in the 400m hurdles at the 1948 Olympics.

At the time, Tai produced his own knit tracksuits, including zip-up bottoms so they could be worn over trainers.

“When I got married, four sewing machines arrived with my husband,” Rosita told AFP in a 2016 interview.

The two, who married in 1953, initially set up a machine knitting workshop in Gallarate, northwest of Milan.

Their big break came in 1958, when a Milanese department store ordered hundreds of striped Missoni dresses.

Missoni's first fashion show was in 1966, followed by a presentation at the Pitti Palace in Florence the following year.

Controversy over the see-through quality of the clothing, after models were asked to remove their white bras because they could be seen under the blouses, catapulted the brand to global fame.

Ty passed away in 2013. 92 years old.

The couple's daughter, Angela, took over the fashion house in the late 1990s, although Rosita continued to work on the label's home line, Missoni Home.