WITH GUEST CURATOR MARGHERITA MISSONI

AUCTION ONLINE | BIDDING OPEN 14 – 21 APRIL 2020

NEW YORK, 3 APRIL 2020 – This spring, Sotheby’s is teaming up with fashion aficionado Margherita Maccapani Missoni to handpick a personal edit of artworks for ‘Contemporary Curated’, an online-only sale of contemporary art. Hailing from a family whose surname has become synonymous with colourfully zigzagged and space-dyed knits, Margherita recently took over as creative director of ‘M Missoni’ – a younger offshoot of her family’s famed fashion house. ‘Re-use’, ‘remix’ and ‘respect’ are the cornerstones of M Missoni. Old advertisements have been pillaged for clothing prints, traditional logos and archive prints have been rewritten with a contemporary twist, and the label’s tried and trusty patchwork is reimagined in new prints. Applauded for embracing sustainable heritage, finger-on-the-pulse instincts and a playful, experiential approach, Margherita stands at the forefront of the fashion world, her influence extending across the globe.

For the eighth edition of the ‘Contemporary Curated’ series in London, Margherita has carefully crafted a compelling selection of artworks, bringing to light a lesser-known aspect of the designer’s distinct creative vision. Artists featured include Eddie Martinez, Damien Hirst, Yayoi Kusama, Tim Noble & Sue Webster, Alighiero Boetti, Yoshitomo Nara, George Condo, Victor Vasarely, Katherina Grosse, Fahrelnissa Zeid and many more.

A cacophony of colours, Margherita’s work is free spirited, irreverent and playful – factors that have influenced her own collecting and which will be reflected in the curation of this sale. Admitting herself that the Missoni’s are ‘a family of hoarders’, everything the designer collects is imbued with personal resonance, conjuring memories and concepts that she wishes to be reminded of. Margherita inherited her collector gene from her mother Angela, the creative director of Missoni, and her grandmother, 88-year-old Rosita who founded and ran the family brand with her husband Ottavio until 1997. It was with these inspiring women that Margherita scoured flea markets around Europe as a child and continues to do so, breathing new life into old treasures.

Speaking about ‘Contemporary Curated’, Margherita said:“With my designs, I try to capture the zeitgeist of today and, the contemporary artworks that excites me are those that similarly speak to the time in which we live in. Art has the ability to take us to new depths, leaving us forever different. My personal aesthetic is very emotional. Everything has a narrative in my experience, I’m drawn to references. This not only influences the way I dress, but the way I work and the art I choose to collect.

I selected these works for their contrasting materials and textures – a play of opposites that I gravitate towards in my own designs. From Yayoi Kusama’s psychedelic patterns to Tim Noble & Sue Webster’s neon heart, I hope that these pieces will inspire all, just as they captured my imagination during this process.”