COLLECTORS' CHRONICLES
Margherita Missoni Amos, Daisies
Margherita Maccapani Missoni Amos had a collection before she even knew she had a collection. “Margherita means daisy in Italian, so I’ve been given pieces with daisies on them since I was born,” she says. The granddaughter of the founders of storied Italian label Missoni, Margherita spent much of her adolescence rejecting the flower behind her namesake (“I couldn’t even look at one more daisy”), but as time went on, she embraced the symbol, which even became the logo for her kidswear line, Margherita. “Now, I would guess that I have close to 200 pieces in my personal collection.”
It’s no surprise then that her home in Montonate, Italy is rife with daisy accents, fashion, and ephemera — many pieces gifted from friends and family who saw a daisy something and just had to get it for her. “If you start paying attention, the daisy is everywhere – in designer’s prints, jewelry, home décor,” Missoni says. The select pieces Missoni acquired herself are hauls from trips to flea markets – one of her favorite pastimes. “They’re our greatest family passion that my mom inherited from her mom, and I inherited from her,” she says, of the hobby that all the women now also pursue online. Collecting is in the blood. “My grandmother Rosita collects shell lamps and mushroom trinkets; my mother has more than 300 pieces of wicker. We really love searching and finding and discovering.”
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Mid Century Modern Oak Six-Drawer Dresser
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Charles Ragland Bunnell Abstract Oil Painting, 1957
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
14K Drop Bead Earrings with Black Onyx and CZ
“The cup and saucers are from our local flea market, which is my absolute favorite,” says Margherita, who also collects fish décor and ephemera, in honor of her astrological sign Pisces. “I go to markets everywhere—I always try to arrive in a new city on a Sunday so I can go to its local flea. I think it’s the best way to understand the culture of a country—not just the contemporary, but the old part. You see where the culture comes from, and you understand what has gone out of fashion there.”
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Embellished Giclée "Ochre Papillon 2," 21st Century
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
14K Diamond and Sapphire Converter Brooch with Palladium Settings
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Gucci GG 1077S Aviator Sunglasses with Black Frames and Green Lenses
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Itzchak Tarkay Hand-Colored Lithograph, 21st Century
“I love jumpsuits, and I bought this one for myself online,” says Missoni. “I love the bold print – it’s a perfect summer outfit: you put it on and it’s super easy, but it makes a statement. I still find daisies in the collections every season, especially Prada and Miu Miu.” Missoni considers herself lucky to be the frequent recipient of daisy gifts. “But I occasionally make exceptions and buy something for myself,” she says. “I recently fell for a pair of Dolce & Gabbana macramé shorts.”
“My ceramicist friend creates figurines of women with natural elements, so of course, when she made one with daisies, I bought it,” says Missoni. The designer and her grandparents — collectors themselves — appear in the framed photo. “My grandmother especially loves the mushroom symbol, so her apartment in the mountains is mushroom-themed,” says Missoni. “There must be more than 300 mushrooms everywhere, in every corner. Mushroom chairs, stools, plates.”
