MILAN — Following the closing of the Missoni transaction agreement inked last March, which led to a new shareholding structure, the brand’s chief executive officer Livio Proli is staying on for at least another five years and has his priorities clearly defined for the period.
These range from retail expansion in markets where Missoni has a strong brand awareness, such as the U.S. and Europe, to presenting a “package of lifestyle offering from fashion to textile and home” at its wholesale accounts, and continuing to grow the business “at a solid and gradual pace, without any unnecessary sprints, which is a vision shared by our new partners,” Proli said.
“The brand may have been a bit dusty, but it’s always been very strong, it’s always had an incredible value and it’s fun and joyful,” he trumpeted.
Equity firm FSI has become the controlling shareholder with a 73 percent stake as the Missoni family exited its equity position. The family included the offspring of the late founders Tai and Rosita, Angela and Luca and their late brother Vittorio’s children Giacomo, Ottavio and Marco.
FSI already owned 41.2 percent of the company, which it picked up in 2018. Katjes International, through its wholly owned subsidiary Katjes Quiet Luxury, acquired about 27 percent of the Italian luxury brand.
Katjes International also has a call option on FSI’s shares with the potential to become the majority shareholder.
Proli has been leading the turnaround of the brand since his arrival from the Armani Group in 2020. Barnaba Ravanne, cofounder of FSI, was named president of Missoni.
Proli said Missoni reported sales of 125 million euros in 2025, and that he expects revenues to reach 132 million euros in 2026. He touted a 12 percent uptick in the spring 2027 orders. The target is to register 200 million euros in sales in five years, he said.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization are forecast to amount to between 12 million and 15 million euros in 2025, aligned with 2024. That year, however, the figure was boosted by capital gains, Proli said.
Missoni is designed by creative director Alberto Caliri, who is staying on in the role.
Proli plans to open a second store in Miami after the unveiling of a new location in New York in mid-January. In the latter city, he said he is also eyeing a unit in SoHo. He also sees potential in Texas, in cities such as Houston and Dallas.
In Europe, as reported, Missoni just opened a new boutique in Paris after a five-year absence at 48 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.
Over two levels, the 970-square-foot store showcases women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, beachwear and a selection of homewares. Proli said he is eyeing a second store in the city.
A boutique in Munich just opened and is “performing very well,” which is leading the executive to mull another unit in Dusseldorf. “The idea is to open five to six stores per year,” he said. Currently, Missoni counts 12 directly operated stores and 27 franchisees.
Wholesale represents 50 percent of sales, relying on a web of 500 clients, which is a number that Proli is not looking to grow.
Through a partnership with Al Tayer, the Middle East is also a strong market for the brand, and despite the war, Missoni is holding up in the region.
Japan is performing well, as is Australia, said Proli, while Missoni is not present in China and Asia-Pacific.
“We’ve overcome the most pressing financial and organizational emergencies and now we can focus on further developing the business,” said Proli, clearly pleased with the transaction and praising FSI and the new investors, “interested in Italian art, culture and beauty.”
Katjes International is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange via its corporate bonds.
Katjes International acquires companies with strong and established consumer goods brands in Europe and is an investor in Italy’s food brands Paluani and Sperlari and fragrance firm Antica Erboristeria and last month acquired Graze snacks from Unilever. Katjes Quiet Luxury last year took a controlling stake in high-end sports brand Bogner, founded in the 1930s by Nordic skiing world champion Willy Bogner, together with his wife Maria Bogner.
Bastian Fassin and Tobias Bachmüller are experts in the confectionery industry and are the managing shareholders of Katjes International and its sister company Katjes Deutschland.
