Star Struck Style

February 11 is Ottavio Missoni’s birthday.

Anyone who knows me also knows that I’m obsessed with the Italian fashion brand Missoni. A couple of years ago, I was surprised to discover that I shared my sun sign/moon sign combination with Angela Missoni, the current creative director and president of the the label. Today I learned that her father and founder of the company that bears their family name has his natal sun snuggled right between my Mars/Venus conjunction in Aquarius, forming a conjunction with both planets.

I don’t know what that means as far as astrological synastry is concerned, but it’s kind of a weird coincidence to see this iconic designer’s sun forming such harmonious aspects in my own chart. As “the world’s foremost expert on astrological style,” I cannot underemphasize the importance of an individual’s natal Venus in the horoscope when I am attempting to evaluate their innate stylishness. If I could just put together a book about that topic, it would probably be even longer than the last 105,000-word doorstop I published. If I believed that a book like that would sell, I wouldn’t hesitate to write it. But I’m clever enough to know that most people really don’t care if they look good or not. I know, right?

Anyway, I would love to get into Ottavio Missoni’s natal chart, but I can’t even determine his moon sign without a time of birth; it could be in Aries or it could be in Pisces. I can say with confidence that his natal Venus in Aries contributed to his innovative nature: to this day, the label is still creating fabrics that no one else in the world could create. That’s probably why I like it so much. Instead of brandishing a logo like a tacky Gucci double-G belt, Missoni’s wares are immediately distinguishable because of the sophistication of patterns created in the knitting process. Like Bottega Veneta’s intrecciato leather products, the luxury of Missoni is evident in the impeccable craftsmanship, not just in the cachet that the name carries. It takes a snob like me to know the difference.

And on that note, I’m going put on the new Missoni T-shirt I bought last week to celebrate the birthday of this amazing man. If you see me out and about, don’t be afraid to stop to tell me how great I look . . .