FOCUS: MARNI
Who says it's not possible to succeed by remaining true to yourself in an industry as competitive, changing and demanding as fashion?
Founded in the mid-1990s by designer Consuelo Castiglioni and her husband Gianni, Marni has achieved success by remaining true to its vision and identity, as concrete as recognizable. Conceptual and sophisticated. Austere and imaginative. Timeless and avant-garde, Marni - ignoring trends and despising red carpets - has established itself at the epicentre of the fashion landscape.
The Italian brand has become well known - and much appreciated - for its unconventional forms, its shocking prints, its ugly shoes and its fantasy jewellery. Gallerists, Architects and Fashion Creatives such as Mario Testino and Jamie Hawkesworth are among its dedicated fanbase.
With its particular European-inspired aesthetics, Marni has evolved over the years into today's aerodynamic style maintaining its peculiar balance of antagonistic concepts, impregnating modern classics with a peculiar bohemian inflection.
In 2013 Marni became part of OTB, an international group that brings together and promotes the development of alternative brands in the luxury sector such as Diesel and Maison Margiela. Shortly afterwards, the Castiglioni family handed over the creative direction of Marni to Francesco Risso - a former student of the Centre de Saint-Martins and Creative Director for more than ten years at Prada - who renewed and reinforced the brand codes with a spirit of irreverence and anti-conformism.
Inspired by sources as varied as the Dada art movement of the early 20th century, childhood memories and Japanese deconstructionists, Risso expanded the Italian brand's tailoring vocabulary by fusing Castiglioni's radiant colours and uncommon quality with elements of the art world and a total rejection of industry conventions.
Marni has recently stopped working with fur and on the subject of sustainability, Risso believes that as a company, they are taking steps to improve certain areas, particularly in regard to fabrics. They also have a charitable programme, Marni Market, that works with communities making artisanal products.
As one of the most copied brands in the market that seems to be off the radar, Marni has ambitiously expanded internationally by establishing stores in the best areas of cities such as Milan, London, Paris, Los Angeles and Tokyo.
Marni is a mystery box. Is a vortex of extreme influences and playfulness, of contradiction and dynamism. It’s many things and it’s the immense number of possibilities that makes it so exciting.
Although many disliked Risso's entry into Marni, it is visible that the brand's halo of success continues to work well: new boutiques continue to open and all online stores - including us, LABOUTIK - fill with the brand each season, from the commercial pieces to the most eccentric outfits.
Innovative and multifaceted, Marni is recognized all over the world and it has become a symbol of elegance and sophistication. Marni is a beloved lifestyle with an avant-garde spirit that holds a creative ongoing dialogue with the world of art.
