Tindara Agnello, designer of La Coppola Storta, dies at 35

Tindara Agnello, the Palermo-born art director and designer behind the fashion brand La Coppola Storta, died suddenly on February 22, 2019, at age 35. She collapsed from an illness and never recovered. Agnello had been leading the brand since she was 19, transforming the traditional Sicilian flat cap (coppola) from a mafia-associated symbol into a contemporary fashion item. The brand gained international recognition, including a spot in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York's 2017 exhibition "Items: Is Fashion Modern?" curated by Paola Antonelli and Michelle Millar Fisher. The company was founded in 2000 with her father Guido Agnello, initially based in San Giuseppe Jato, and later moved to Piana degli Albanesi. The caps were handmade by local seamstresses, and the workforce eventually formed a cooperative called Factory 23. The brand produced over 150,000 caps with an annual turnover of €300,000. Agnello collaborated with the anti-mafia movement AddioPizzo and created a line called "Riciclaggio" using recycled materials. The brand expanded to stores in Italy and Europe, with projects in Japan. Tributes came from family, colleagues, and Palermo mayor Leoluca Orlando. Funeral services were held on February 25 at the Chiesa Madre di Bagheria.