PLEASE NOTE: EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL
Vittorio Missoni, seen here in file footage, was one of six people aboard a small plane that vanished off the coast of Venezuela.
The others traveling with him were his wife, another couple and two Venezuelan crew.
An air and sea search is underway.
The aircraft, this Britten Norman BN-2 Islander, went missing on Friday (January 4).
Missoni and siblings Luca and Angela took over the family-owned fashion house from their parents in 1996.
The company is famous for its exuberantly colored knits featuring bold stripes and zig-zags.
The brand celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.
