Sorelle Fontana Sisters

Fashion Houses
Sorelle Fontana



 The Sorelle Fontana sisters, creators of the Fashion House famous the world over, belong to a generation without equals. These three strong and united women learned their job with Mamma Amabile the small atelier inherited in 1907 from their great grandmother.

Soon the three sisters turned their notions into art. At first they were working in a small Italian provincial town, famous for its artists: Parma. In 1937 Zoe, the eldest sister, thought it was time to "take off". She was unsure whether her destination should be Rome or Milan as both cities appealed to Zoe. She let her instinct decide and caught the first train to Rome. In the city of the stars and of the splendid aristocracy, Zoe immediately found a job in a large fashion house. A few months later the family was reunited when her sisters Micol and Giovanna joined her, as did Mamma Amabile.

Rome at the time was the centre of great events. The rooms of the Sorelle Fontana's atelier on a corner with Via Veneto were soon to be filled with aristocratic women and the foreign actresses in Rome working on the set at Cinecitta'. Among their many famous customers were Donna Marella Agnelli, Princess Grace of Monaco, Margaret Truman, Jacqueline Kennedy, the Princesses Savoia. The Sorelle Fontana have also dressed famous stars such as Linda Christian, Ava Gardner, Joan Collins, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Kim Novak, Barbara Stanwyck and many more.

The Sorelle Fontana were the first to feel the need to give a fashion in Italy a look of its own, freeing it from foreign influence. With this spirit in mind, once they had conquered the Italian clientele, the Sorelle Fontana took their fashion abroad. In 1951 they went to the United States where their success was immediate. Soon their fashion was recognised in Europe, Japan, Africa and Asia.

In the following years, the Sorelle Fontana decided to produce a line of ready to wear fashion in parallel to their high fashion collection. Their objective was to offer a product which could be sold in prestigious shops to a wider market. In Italy their fashion lines include leather and brides. One of the major successes for the Sorelle Fontana came when they celebrated 20 years of activity and collaboration with Japan.