Vittorio Missoni (via Twitter)

According to The New York Times, on Friday a small plane carrying Vittorio Missoni, his wife, two friends and two crew members went missing. The plane vanished shortly after takeoff from Los Roques, a secluded island resort. The plane was headed to the airport near Caracas, Venezuela, which ordinarily only takes an half an hour.  Authorities launched an air and sea search, but it has yet to lead to new discoveries. Reportedly, Luca Missoni, Vittorio’s brother, is en route to Venezuela to monitor the search, while the rest of the family remains in Italy.

Sadly, this morning, ABC News reported that the family’s hopes of a rescue are diminishing. “The plane went down along an area that is a well-known drug smuggling [route],” said the network’s Matt Gutman. “We’re hearing reports from the family that they hope that somehow the plane was hijacked and that is the only only chance that the members might still be alive. This morning search teams are criss-crossing the Carribean for Vittorio Missoni and his companions.”

Vittorio, 58, is the head of his family’s celebrated Italian knitwear label, Missoni. The company was founded in 1953 by Ottavio and Rosita Missoni. In the 1990s, their children — Vittorio, Angela and Luca — took over the Milan-based luxury brand and restored its notoriety. Missoni is a favorite among celebrities such as, Kate Moss and Sofia Vergara, but it was their collaboration in 2011 with Target, which helped give the luxury label greater prominence among the masses. The siblings have made Missoni a global brand, expanding into Asia and expanding the breadth of the brand’s products into diverse areas such as hotels, housewares, and bicycles.

Missoni’s fall 2013 menswear show is scheduled for next Sunday in Milan, but the fashion house has not yet said whether the show will go on as planned.

Reach Staff Reporter Jameelah James here