Rosita, whose parents were shawlmakers, was born in 1931 in the town of Golasecca, Lombardy.

While on a study trip to learn English in London, she met Ottavio – known as Tai – while he was competing in the 400m hurdles at the 1948 Olympic Games.

At the time, Tai was producing his own knit tracksuits, including bottoms with a zip so they could be put on over trainers.

“When I got married, four sewing machines arrived with my husband,” Rosita told the AFP news agency in a 2016 interview.

The pair, who married in 1953, initially set up a machine-knitwear workshop in Gallarate, northwest of Milan.