Krizia
Mariuccia Mandelli, known professionally as Krizia, (31 January 1925 – 6 December 2015) was an Italian fashion designer and entrepreneur. Mandelli established her ready-to-wear fashion house, Krizia, in 1954 by bringing suitcases of samples to shops in Milan out of her Fiat 500. The Guardian has called her the "godmother of Italian fashion." According to the New York Times, Mandelli was one of the first female fashion designers to create a popular line of men's wear.
Also recorded as Mariucca Mandelli · Mariuccia Mandelli · María Mandeli · Maria Mandeli
Krizia

Manuelarosi · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Born
- 1925.
- Died
- 2015.
- Nationality
- Italy and Kingdom of Italy.
- Occupation
- entrepreneur, fashion designer and businessperson.
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Documentary summary
Mariuccia Mandelli, known professionally as Krizia, (31 January 1925 – 6 December 2015) was an Italian fashion designer and entrepreneur. Mandelli established her ready-to-wear fashion house, Krizia, in 1954 by bringing suitcases of samples to shops in Milan out of her Fiat 500. The Guardian has called her the "godmother of Italian fashion." According to the New York Times, Mandelli was one of the first female fashion designers to create a popular line of men's wear.
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Authority files
getty · 500032038 · gnd · 1028334575 · wikidata · Q436146 · wikipedia · Mariuccia Mandelli
In this article
Career
Career
Mandelli was born in Bergamo on January 31, 1925. She had a talent as a seamstress and an interest in fashion, but studied to be a teacher based on her mother's advice. Mandelli worked as a teacher for several years until her friend, Flora Dolci, offered use of a flat in Rome for six months rent-free. She purchased an old sewing machine in the early 1950s and founded her label, Krizia, in 1954 by selling clothes from her Fiat 500. In 1964, she unveiled her first black-and-white collection at the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, which earned a Critica della Moda award. The fashion house grew rapidly during the 1960s and 1970s. Under Mandelli, Krizia released a version of shorts cut "very short" in 1971, now seen as an early form of hot pants. Krizia grew into a $500 million business at its height during the 1990s. By the end of the 1980s, she bought land in Punta Volpe, Costa Smeralda, and hired the architect Gianni Gamondi to build a luxurious seafront loggia. The property was listed on sale by Sotheby's in 2022. Mariuccia Mandelli died at her home in Milan on 6 December 2015, at the age of 90.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1925
Krizia was born in 1925.
2015
Krizia died at Milan.
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority file
- Gemeinsame Normdatei 1028334575, Krizia.
Unverified · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
- Getty Union List of Artist Names 500032038, Krizia.
Unverified · The Getty Research Institute
reference work
- “Mariuccia Mandelli”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q436146: Krizia
Reputable secondary · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Langer, Emily. Mariuccia Mandelli, innovative Italian fashion designer, dies at 90. The Washington Post. 2015-12-09. 0190-8286.
- 2.Mariuccia Mandelli obituary. The Guardian. 2015-12-13.
- 3.Fox, Margalit. Mariuccia Mandelli, Italian Fashion Designer, Dies at 90. New York Times. 2015-12-07.
- 4.Zagaria, Di Elisa. La spettacolare villa di Krizia in vendita in Costa Smeralda. ELLE Decor. 2022-05-09.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority file
Gemeinsame Normdatei 1028334575, Krizia.Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Partially resolvedauthority file
Getty Union List of Artist Names 500032038, Krizia.The Getty Research Institute
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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