Jolanda Anna Maria Veneziani (11 July 1901 – 10 January 1989) was an Italian

fashion designer Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashi ...

Biography

Born in

Taranto Taranto (, also ; ; nap, label=Tarantino dialect, Tarantino, Tarde; Latin: Tarentum; Old Italian: ''Tarento''; Ancient Greek: Τάρᾱς) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto, serving as an ...

in 1901, Jole Veneziani moved to

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard language, Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the List of cities in Italy, second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 ...

with her family when she was still a child. She grew up in an artistic household where her father was a writer, her mother has a passion for classical music, and her brother was a screenplay writer. She studied accounting and started her career with the opening of a fur workshop. At the height of the Second World War despite many difficulties she grasped the desire for rebirth of the Milanese middle class and opened her refined atelier and then moved to

via Monte Napoleone Via Monte Napoleone, also spelled Via Montenapoleone, is an upscale shopping street in Milan, Italy, Europe's most expensive street (2022) and the third most expensive street in the world . It is famous for its ready-to-wear fashion and jewelry sho ...

in 1943. Throughout the years that followed the designer cemented her fame as the pioneer of

Made in Italy Made in Italy is a merchandise mark indicating that a product is all planned, manufactured and packed in Italy, especially concerning the design, fashion, food, manufacturing, craftsmanship, and engineering industries. History Made in Italy ...

: in 1951 she participated in the famous fashion in Villa Torrigiani in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...

, she launched her Veneziani Sport collection and made the cover of Life magazine. Many famous divas like

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

and

Maria Callas Maria Callas . (born Sophie Cecilia Kalos; December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977) was an American-born Greek soprano who was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised her ''bel cant ...

became her clients as well as personalities from Milanese high society. In 1952, together with other designers such as

Vincenzo Ferdinandi Vincenzo Ferdinandi (29 November 1920 - 22 April 1990) was an Italian designer among the founders of Italian haute couture. Biography Born in the United States, he moved to Italy in the early 1950s to open an atelier in Rome in the fashionable ...

, Roberto Capucci, the Sartoria Antonelli, the Atelier Carosa, Giovannelli-Sciarra, Polinober,

Germana Marucelli Germana Marucelli (13 October 1905 - 23 February 1983) was an Italian fashion designer. Life and career Born in Settignano, Florence into a family of craftsmen, after the primary school at 11 years old Marucelli started working as an apprent ...

, the Sartoria Vanna and sixteen sportswear companies and boutiques at the first historic show at the Sala Bianca of

Palazzo Pitti The Palazzo Pitti (), in English sometimes called the Pitti Palace, is a vast, mainly Renaissance, palace in Florence, Italy. It is situated on the south side of the River Arno, a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio. The core of the present ...

. A very young

Oriana Fallaci Oriana Fallaci (; 29 June 1929 – 15 September 2006) was an Italian journalist and author. A partisan during World War II, she had a long and successful journalistic career. Fallaci became famous worldwide for her coverage of war and revolution ...

, sent by the weekly

Epoca Epoca may refer to: Media * ''Epoca'' (magazine), Italian news magazine published, 1950–1997 * ''Época'' (Brazilian magazine), Brazilian news magazine established in 1998 * ''Época'' (Spanish magazine), Spanish weekly news magazine, 1985– ...

, told the news. In 1956, she was the costume designer for the film ''Serenata al vento''. She worked as a consultant for

Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury car manufacturer and a subsidiary of Stellantis. The company was founded on 24 June 1910, in Milan, Italy. "Alfa" is an acronym of its founding name, "Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili." ...

to introduce new body colors and interior designs for the car manufacturer. Her work's archives were entrusted to the foundation of Federico Bano in 1984, the Fondazione Bano onlus in

Padua Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of t ...

, and she officially retired from the fashion scene in 1985. A commemorative exhibition of her most prominent work was organized in October-November 2013 at the Villa Necchi Campiglio in Milan. The contemporary rooms of the Westin Palace Milan have framed sketches of Jole Veneziani.

References

External links

* 1901 births 1989 deaths Italian fashion designers Italian women fashion designers Fashion designers from Milan People from Taranto {{fashion-designer-stub