Made In Italy – Who Were The Fontana Sisters?
Zoe, Micol and Giovanna Fontana: the three sisters from near Parma who dressed Linda Christian, Ava Gardner and Audrey Hepburn from their Rome atelier.
Three sisters from a small town near Parma put Italian couture on the map after the war. Their names were Zoe, Micol and Giovanna Fontana.
The wedding of the year
Rome, a January morning in 1949. The Hollywood star Tyrone Power was marrying Linda Christian, and it was called the “marriage of the century”. There was a frenzied crowd and a thousand riot police. But the star of the day was the dress: white satin, embroidered, close-fitting, worn with a pearl headpiece. The Fontana sisters made it.
From Traversetolo to Rome
The sisters came from Traversetolo, a small town near Parma. Their mother, Amabile, ran a small dressmaking business, a skill handed down from her grandmother, so the girls grew up with needles, thread and fabric. They wanted more than the town could give them. In 1936 Zoe took the first train to Rome, and her sisters soon followed. They started small, making dresses for the neighbours in their apartment building. The concierge spread the word.
Then the Roman aristocracy noticed. Princesses Maria Pia and Maria Gabriella of Savoy were among their early clients. The big break came through Cinecittà, the film studios in Rome, which brought the American stars to their door. Myrna Loy was the first.
Hollywood
They dressed Ava Gardner for The Barefoot Contessa, and her black cassock dress was theirs too.
Audrey Hepburn had them make her a wedding dress. When her engagement ended, she gave it away.
In 1951 they showed at the first Italian High Fashion Show. It told the world that Italian designers were ready to rival the French, and it opened the international market to Italian fashion.
The 1950s and 1960s were their years. By 1955 they had opened their first boutique in Rome. In 1960 they launched a ready-to-wear line for the American market, without giving up couture. They dressed film stars and American First Ladies, Jacqueline Kennedy among them.
Three sisters, three roles
Each sister had her job. Micol travelled and promoted. Giovanna planned and managed. Zoe spotted the trends.
None of them was a skilled sketch artist. Their gift was in their hands: draping, embroidering, working with fine fabric.
The Fontana Sisters brand was sold in 1992. In 1994 Micol set up a foundation to keep the archive of their designs. Their dresses are now in the Metropolitan Museum and the Louvre.
Talent and ambition
So next time you see a vintage Italian gown, remember the Fontana sisters. This is what Made in Italy means: three women, their hands, and a lot of nerve.
