Rosita, whose parents were shawl makers, was born in 1931 in Galoseca, Lombardy.
On a study trip to London to study English, she met Ottavio, known as Ty, when he was competing in the 400m hurdles at the 1948 Olympics.
At the time, Ty was making his own knit tracksuits, including zip-up bottoms to be worn over sneakers.
“When I got married, four sewing machines arrived with my husband,” Rosita told AFP in a 2016 interview.
The couple, who married in 1953, originally set up a machine knitting workshop in Gallorate, northwest of Milan.
