What surprise will Francesco Risso pull from his magic hat? That’s the kind of anticipation every Marni show produces. Risso is a rare fashion talent, whose vision unfolds in transporting, imaginative journeys; his designs are tinged with a genuine expressive sensibility, ineffable and lyrical as they are potent—an artistry that feels more essential than ever, at a moment when the industry is struggling to find its footing, caught between discordant directions, or no direction at all.
Fall was yet another showcase of his signature Risso-isms—an evolving lexicon he has brought to Marni, building on the brand’s distinctive quirk and pushing it further into eloquent artistic expression. His approach has expanded the community of “interpreters” engaging with the label, while fostering a design studio culture that values the handcrafted and the gestural—a practice that has produced both exceptional pieces of clothing and a collection of memorable shows.
Today’s performance took place at the brand’s headquarters, which had been reimagined as a cabaret room bathed in penumbra, with hand-painted cloth by the Marni design crew covering tables and stools, and dapper waiters in Marni attire serving martini spritzes. A live score was directed by Dev Hynes, while the walls displayed painted canvases born of a project between Risso and the Nigerian artists Olaolu Slawn and Soldier Boyfriend. The partnership began serendipitously over aperitifs in London, and evolved into The Pink Sun, a month-long residency in which the trio shared a studio and generated a series of artworks. “It was a moment of such liberation and freedom,” said Risso backstage. “We were like a pack of happy wolves. We really dared to dream.”
The collaboration between the three artists breathed life into a collection in which “there’s everything I first fell in love with when I started at Marni,” Risso said, “everything I have disrupted, recreated, and regenerated over the years. And then there’s the art, which permeates and pollinates it all.”
It indeed felt like a joyful, fantastical act of inventive bravery—poetic and sublime. Crombie coats morphed into cocoon-like forms, while sheath dresses featured dramatic back pleats that rippled into eccentric plissé skirts. Short dresses stretched into sinuous gowns, and plush sheepskin collars burst from egg-shaped blousons layered over pyramid-cut skirts in mock croc. Delicate georgette met the richness of ponyskin, while moleskin was juxtaposed with fuzzy mohair. Luscious satin was shaped into stunning siren dresses in luminous jewel tones, and tulip motifs bloomed across sharp-tailored suits.
A black wolf, rendered in sequins, curled around a scarlet pantsuit. An opera coat the color of a bougainvillea featured an appliquéd flower unfurling at the shoulder, while wisps of fur cascaded from a sleek, asymmetrical coat—its cut precise and elegant. Taken together, it was a testament to the power of creativity—a rare and endangered quality. It must be protected and nurtured at all costs.
