Adrienne Vittadini

Adrienne Vittadini, the Queen of Knit (and So Much More)

Adrienne Vittadini was born Adrienne Toth in the mid-40s, in Budapest. She spent her early years there, but her family was forced to flee when she was twelve, to escape the 1956 revolution in Hungary. Her hobby of creating knitwear fashions grew into a fashion business that would earn her millions, as well as the name “Queen of Knits”. Adrienne Vittadini’s name is now on everything from handbag to shoes, from eyeware to swimsuits, from clothing to perfumes. Her look has been characterized as distinctly Euro-American, and many women from all over the world, can’t seem to get enough of it.

Knitting Together an Empire

Adrienne Vittadini may have come from difficult circumstances, fleeing war when only a young girl, but she was determined to make the most of her life once she arrived in America. With her mind already on creating beauty, she attended the Moore College of Art, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and her skill earned her an apprenticeship with fashion designer Louis Feraud. She went to Paris to study with him in 1965.

In 1972, she married Gianluigi Vittadini, becoming Adrienne Vittadini, but it was a number of years later before that name would be known worldwide. Her creation of knitwork was just a hobby that she enjoyed, but in 1979 people began to notice her innovations. Before Adrienne Vittadini, knit was seen as frumpy or dowdy, but she made something simple into something beautiful, even sensuous. Her ideas are behind the sweater dress, and single-handedly revitalized knitwork as fashion, making the accessible into something beautiful.

Vittadini credited much of her success to her status as a woman designer. In her eyes, only a woman could possibly understand what women wanted out of the clothing they wore, which is why she could take something that no one wanted to work with and make it into something everyone wanted to wear. After her debut into the world of fashion, many Seventh Avenue fashion companies followed suit. Knit was perfect for anyone, whether businesswoman or homemaker, no matter where they lived.

Fragrance as Fashion

First and foremost, Vittadini believes that a classic design is forever classic. This applies to everything with her name, from her original knitwear, to her line of eyewear, to her handbags, and to her perfume. Scent is as unique a signature and style as clothing. Just as outfits look different on different people, so do perfumes give a different fragrance depending upon the wearer. Adrienne Vittadini fragrances are designed so there is something for every woman for every occasion.

A popular fragrance from Adrienne Vittadini is the one named simply after her own brand: Adrienne Vittadini. This is an animalic, musky, and aromatic scent, with touches of citrus, ad sweetened with jasmine and lily-of-the-valley.

Capri is a more floral and green fragrance, with a woody, earthy tone. It has notes of iris, and Brazilian rosewood, giving it a naturally aromatic feel.

AV perfume is a daily wear perfume with a fresh and spicy aroma. It evokes the clean scent of ocean air, blending that experience with a delightful floral scent, and a touch of lemony citrus.

Venezia is a perfume made for romantic nights. It is balmy and floral, seductive and feminine, with base notes that include vanilla, musk, and sandalwood. This fragrance has a certain exotic tone that is undeniably sexy.

Daytime, evening, casual – just like her clothing, Adrienne Vittadini’s perfumes are varied enough to be useful in any circumstance, while still allowing a woman to be feminine. There is no reason why a beautiful look or a beautiful scent should not be available to everyone.

The Innovations of Adrienne Vittadini

Adrienne Vittadini sold her company in 1996, but her vision still guides the brand. She started by making knitwear into art and fashion and moved on from there to make garments of all kinds for all kinds of women, allowing them to pick and choose and create their own personal and unique modes of expression. Modern women all over the world still wear, and look for, the Adrienne Vittadini label, including Kim Basinger, Abigail Breslin, Candice Bergen, and Joan Lunden.

The elegant aesthetic of Europe combined with American practicality is the heart of the Adrienne Vittadini brand. She was one of the first who made it easy to be feminine, taking out all the extra time and effort, and replacing it with a certain purity – the classic timelessness which she strives for in all her work.