Marni Has Always Meant More Is More. And It Must Remain That Way
After nearly a decade of maximalist oddball-isms and zeitgeisty partnerships at the helm of Marni, Francesco Risso has resigned from his creative director post at the Italian house. His departure's bound to leave a fuzzy-cardigan-shaped hole behind, one Marni ought to patch up wisely.
Since joining the company, his (literally) artsy handwriting's become synonymous with the brand, and his cultural fluency a launch pad for Marni's ascent into the broader sartorial consciousness, accounting for moments of cultural crossover like the Met Gala, Carhartt, and UNIQLO. Risso's replacement has giant (pierced) shoes to fill — but their main priority must be to keep Marni, well, Marni.
Before leading Marni, Risso was a relative unknown, plucked from inner-team obscurity to take charge of the house.
The former Prada designer joined Marni in 2016, succeeding founder Consuelo Castiglioni after her brand was acquired by Renzo Rossi's OTB Group a year prior. Risso further pushed Marni towards a colorful, chaotic, camp aesthetic over the course of his nine years there, opening the house up to a younger, more streetwear-affine consumer by way of approachable accessories and funky footwear.
By 2022, Risso about doubled the business' annual revenue, hitting nearly €300 million (approximately $316 million) versus the estimated €150 million Marni sat at circa 2015.
And, yes, great portion of these earnings is attributed to Risso's wonky taste in the accessories slash footwear category, amplified through the POV shaped by artsy runway shows and clever celeb link-ups with the likes of Erykah Badu and Charli XCX.
The designer’s parting statement leaves blank the answer to the question of why or where-to he's leaving, if he'll stage a final show, or even who'll replace him.
Marni's parent holding firm OTB has been busy with reshufflings anyway, appointing Bally's Simone Bellotti to the top of Jil Sander, and Y/Project and Diesel's Glenn Martens to Maison Margiela, replacing Lucie and Luke Meier and John Galliano, respectively.
If OTB's recent hires are any indication, the Marni torch’ll likely be passed to someone with at least a moderately public industry profile, a proven hand capable of upholding the label’s famed vivacity.
Because even pre-Risso, the 1994-born fashion house was known for a quirky but wearable “ugly”-chic, and a defiantly awkward, humorous anti-glamour.
These are codes so distinct they were, and remain, better expanded on than discarded. Post-Risso, too.
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