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

fashion designer Fashion design is the Art (skill), art of applied arts, applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction, and natural beauty to clothing and its Fashion accessory, accessories. It is influenced by diverse cultures and different trends and has va ...

Biography

Born in

Taranto Taranto (; ; previously called Tarent in English) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Taranto, serving as an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base. Founded by Spartans ...

in 1901, Jolanda moved to

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

with her family when she was still a child. She grew up in an artistic household where her father was a writer, her mother had 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

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

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, and the most expensive street in the world (2024). It is famous for its ready-to-wear fashion and jewelry shops, and for being the most important ...

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 Italian design, design, Italian fashion, fashion, Italian cuisine, food, manufacturing, craftsmanship, and ...

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

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

, 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 Maria Anna Cecilia Sophia Kalogeropoulos; December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977) was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised ...

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 Roberto Capucci (born 2 December 1930) is an Italian nationality law, Italian fashion designer. Early life and education Capucci was born on 2 December 1930 in Rome, Italy. He studied art school, art at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma, Acca ...

, 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 member of the Italian resistance movement during World War II, she had a long and successful journalistic career. Fallaci became famous worldwide for h ...

, sent by the weekly Epoca, told the news. She was the costume designer for the film ''Serenata al vento'' in 1956. She worked as a consultant for

Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian carmaker known for its sports-oriented vehicles, strong auto racing heritage, and iconic design. Headquartered in Turin, Italy, it is a subsidiary of Stellantis Europe and one of 14 brands of mu ...

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

Padua Padua ( ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Veneto, northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Padua. The city lies on the banks of the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice and southeast of Vicenza, and has a population of 20 ...

, 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 Villa Necchi Campiglio is a historic residence (Historic house museum, house museum) located at via Mozart, 14, Milan. It was built between 1932 and 1935 as an independent single-family house designed by Piero Portaluppi, an important Milanese Ra ...

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