Marni’s artsy quirk is rooted within the observe of its design studio—a type of workshop the place the whole lot is completed by hand, from the creation of clothes, that are referred to as “objects” and whose volumes are meant as couture-ish smooth sculptures, to the one-of-a-kind graphics so inherent to their eclectic visuals. “It’s a steady, obsessive handbook activation,” stated Francesco Risso at a showroom appointment. “Each ornament or exploration of shapes is completed by our crew. We’ve received painters that may go from Renaissance reproductions to the craziest interpretations of modernist references. Our m.o. goes method past simply making garments.”
Risso has taken Marni on tour throughout the globe, in a collection of collections which have alternated between the artistic ebullience of reveals and the marginally calmer tempo of seasonal shows. Whereas the spring 2024 present held in Paris in September introduced the “exuberance of the hand” to a performative peak, resort, which is dropping in shops now beneath the identify Quantity One, is a type of balancing act between pragmatic “objects” that Marni-fy the on a regular basis and extra expressive capriccios. “Disciplined chaos” is how Risso usually refers back to the method.
The gathering encompasses quite a lot of volumes, shapes, and decorations—from concise daywear staples to painterly specimens, the place the Marni triad of stripes, florals, and checks is juxtaposed and mismatched in imaginative mashups, tweaking the lineup’s workwear/sporty undercurrent. For each genders, fits, shells, trench coats, peacoats, and anoraks sit alongside expansive cocoon and balloon shapes and slimmer tailor-made or A-line silhouettes.
Risso stated that Marni has at all times been concerning the concept of uniforms, enjoying round a sure utilitarian really feel subverted by spirited nonconformity. To emphasise this notion, the gathering was tied collectively by means of quite a lot of cotton textures, from crisp poplin to sturdy canvas. “We had a real cotton obsession,“ he joked. Along with wit and whimsy, obsession appears to be a significant element to creating the Marni machine run.