Micol Fontana
{{Short description|Italian stylist and entrepreneur}}
File:Sorelle Fontana-Micol, Giovanna e Zoe.jpg
Micol Fontana (8 November 1913 – 12 June 2015) was an Italian stylist and entrepreneur, co-founder of the Sorelle Fontana fashion house.{{cite news |last1=Anna Franco |date=12 June 2015 |title=Addio a Micol Fontana, leggendaria regina della moda mondiale |work=Il Messaggero |url=http://www.ilmessaggero.it/SOCIETA/PERSONE/addio_a_micol_fontana_leggendaria_amp_8203_regina_della_moda_mondiale/notizie/1406997.shtml |accessdate=15 June 2015}}{{cite news |last1=Flavia Fiorentino |date=12 June 2015 |title=Addio a Micol Fontana, la "sarta" delle dive: aveva 102 anni |work=Corriere della Sera |url=http://roma.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/15_giugno_12/moda-lutto-morta-micol-fontana-aveva-102-anni-913f6202-1105-11e5-b09a-9f9a058e6057.shtml?refresh_rum&refresh_ce-cp |accessdate=15 June 2015}}
She was 101 years old when she died.
Biography
Born in Traversetolo, Parma, Micol Fontana and her sisters Zoe and Giovanna moved to Rome in 1936 to launch a fashion career. They worked small jobs in the industry and finally opened their own shop, Casa di moda sorelle Fontana, in 1943.{{Cite web |title=Real Fashion History Sisterhood: Sorelle Fontana {{!}} European Fashion Heritage Association |url=https://fashionheritage.eu/real-fashion-history-sisterhood-sorelle-fontana/ |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=fashionheritage.eu}}
She founded the S.I.A.M. - Italian High Fashion Syndicate in 1953, along with her sisters and other famous fashion designers such as Alberto Fabiani, Vincenzo Ferdinandi, Emilio Schuberth, Jole Veneziani, Giovannelli-Sciarra, Mingolini-Guggenheim, Eleanora Garnett, and Simonetta.{{cite web|url=https://previews.agefotostock.com/previewimage/medibigoff/6aebaddcf9beb22af3c5b2f5257089ee/mdo-ra04278.jpg|title=Rome, Ambasciatori Hotel - Lola Giovannelli, Emilio Schuberth, Micol Fontana, Vincenzo Ferdinandi, Stefanella Sciarra and Zoe Fontana at the foundation cocktail of SIAM - Sindacato Italiano Alta Moda}}
In 1957, the sisters designed Linda Christian's wedding dress for her marriage to Tyrone Power.
Following the deaths of her sisters and the selling of the company and brand to an Italian financial group in 1992, Micol established the Micol Fontana Foundation in 1994 with the goal of discovering and promoting new fashion talents.{{cite book|last1=Sofia Gnoli|title=Un secolo di moda italiana, 1900-2000|publisher=Meltemi Editore srl, 2005|isbn=888353428X|pages=111–116}}{{cite web|title=Fontana, Sorelle|url=http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/sorelle-fontana/|publisher=Treccani|accessdate=15 June 2015}}thumb
Popular culture
As the designer of Margaret Truman's (daughter of U.S. President Harry S. Truman) wedding gown, Fontana was invited to appear as a mystery guest on the April 15, 1956 episode of What's My Line?. The Truman wedding occurred a few days later on April 21, 1956.{{cn|date=February 2025}}
In La Dolce Vita, the tightly moulded priest’s cassock wore by Anita Ekberg in St Peter’s basilica was designed by Fontana.{{Cite news |date=16 June 2015 |title=Micol Fontana |language=en |work=The Times |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/micol-fontana-pk7lnfb88f6 |access-date=2023-01-03 |issn=0140-0460}}
A two-parts television miniseries based on the story of her fashion house, Atelier Fontana - Le sorelle della moda, was broadcast on Rai 1 in 2011, with Micol Fontana making a brief cameo as herself. She was portrayed by Alessandra Mastronardi.{{cite news |last1=Paolo Scotti |date=26 February 2011 |title=La vera storia delle sorelle Fontana le stiliste che vestirono Marilyn |work=Il Giornale |url=http://www.ilgiornale.it/news/vera-storia-delle-sorelle-fontana-stiliste-che-vestirono.html |accessdate=15 June 2015}}{{Cite web |title=Quando Alessandra Mastronardi incontrò Micol Fontana: "Pura soddisfazione" |url=https://tv.fanpage.it/quando-alessandra-mastronardi-incontro-micol-fontana-pura-soddisfazione/ |access-date=2023-03-26 |website=Tv Fanpage |language=it}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.micolfontana.it/ Fondazione Micol Fontana website]
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Category:Italian women centenarians
Category:Italian fashion designers
Category:People from the Province of Parma
Category:Fashion designers from Rome
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