The designer, whose grandparents founded the Italian fashion house Missoni, collects paintings by women who engage with the body.

The designer, whose grandparents founded the Italian fashion house Missoni, collects paintings by women who engage with the body.

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Margherita Maccapani Missoni at home in Varese with Caroline Walker’s Closing Scenes, 2014, as well as pieces by Mario Mafai and Maurizio Anzeri. Photography by Arianna Angelini. Image courtesy of Missoni.

The 41-year-old granddaughter of the founders of Italian fashion house Missoni—who also founded her own eponymous brand, Maccapani—grew up around “intense and all-consuming” collectors. Her own collection favors female painters whose work explores the cultural history of the body.

Did your family collect anything when you were growing up?

I come from a family of collectors, but my mom and grandma are the craziest—for them, the process is very intense and all-consuming. My grandmother collected mushrooms, but also mermaids and art in general from across regions and eras. My mom has a huge collection of 1950s Bambis. My grandfather, who is more minimalist in his approach to life, bought art when he felt there was a dialogue between the artist and his own creative endeavors.

What area of collecting are you excited to dig deeper into?

I recently realized I’m very interested in pieces that explore the female body, both visually and conceptually—what the body represents, how it is perceived, and how women use it or are used because of it. I would love to focus my collection on that subject.

What work in your home have you spent the most time staring at?

A Caroline Walker painting with three women in it.

Who do you credit with teaching you how to navigate the art world?

I was very lucky to know Mariuccia Casadio growing up. She wrote about art for Vogue Italia and is very knowledgeable. In my late teens, I started visiting art fairs and biennials all over the world with her. Her insights really stepped up my game.

Name three artists you are particularly excited about right now. 

Corita Kent, Katherine Bradford, and Isabella Ducrot.

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