Sorelle Fontana

founded by

Zoe, Micol and Giovanna Fontana

belongs to

Zoe, Micol and Giovanna Fontana

about

The history of Rome's oldest fashion house, the glamorous Sorelle Fontana, reads like a fairy tale. It is the story of three young women who made their way from a tiny town near Parma to Rome and then America, whose beautiful designs became highly sought-after by Hollywood stars, famous women and the Italian aristocracy.

The three women, sisters Zoe, Micol and Giovanna came from Traversetolo, where they were taught dressmaking by their talented mother, Amabile. In 1907 they inherited their grandmother's atelier and worked hard at making their popular clothes. They moved to Parma where they opened another atelier, but they were attracted by the idea of making clothes in a fashionable city.

Zoe decided to move and found it difficult to decide between Rome and Milan. Her instinct told her to travel to Rome, the city of the Italian aristocracy. Her sisters and her mother joined her and they opened their atelier at the start of the Second World War.

Famous for their wedding dresses, evening wear, and full-skirted cocktail dresses, the sisters decided to branch out into ready-to-wear clothes as well. They started to make accessories, such as handbags, shoes and men's ties.

The Sorelle Fontana atelier overlooks the Piazza di Spagna in Rome. The couturier's designs are still worn by Hollywood stars and international royalty. The Fontana sisters didn't just achieve their dream of opening an atelier; they came to own one of the most famous in the world, synonymous with glamour and elegance.