Why Marni’s joyously colorful new collection is full of optimism and hope
This season, the agenda-setting brand has demonstrated a daring and distinctive use of color that’s perfect for invigorating your post-lockdown look
Italian house Marni has been at the cutting edge of fashion since the label first burst onto the scene in 1994. Renowned for its daring and distinctive use of color, the brand has earned a reputation for avant-garde designs that instigate rather than follow trends – and this season is no exception.
For fall/winter 2021, despite the fact that creative director Francesco Risso was once again designing a collection during a lockdown, he made a conscious decision not to let the world as it was put parameters on his imagination. Bored of the ever-increasing monotony of life in lockdown, Risso (a design virtuoso who learned the art of tailoring from his grandmother and went on to study at three illustrious schools – Polimoda, the Fashion Institute of Technology and Central Saint Martins) used the design process as a chance to dream, contemplating the idea of romance and, ultimately, coming to the conclusion that at the heart of it all is life. So musings on life, and fantasies about life after the pandemic – fueled by optimism and hope – are what really inspired Marni’s joyful FW21 collection.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that such lofty ideas might result in a decidedly unwearable collection but, true to form, this latest Marni offering is as polished as it is practical. Complete with an abundance of chic separates, elegant dresses and wish-list-worthy handbags, the FW21 collection has achieved that rare sartorial feat of getting editors, buyers and influencers hot under the collar, while also promising to slot effortlessly into every woman’s existing wardrobe.
Risso’s playful striped take on the sweater dress (which is top of every discerning dresser’s new season shopping list) is a failsafe piece whether you’re dressing for a long lunch with friends, a stroll around the park or putting together that much-anticipated return-to-work look. Elsewhere, technicolor separates, in the form of body-sculpting knitted midi skirts and sports-inflected polo tops, can be styled together for maximum impact or paired with virtually everything else in your closet – from wide-leg pants and blue denim to oversized sweaters and a crisp white shirt. In fact, all of the pieces in Marni’s latest collection have a laidback yet luxe feel that promises maximum style mileage.
A slight paradox of Risso’s colorful collection is that the designer also utilised more black than he typically would. However, when you consider how a jet-black, floor-skimming cotton shirt dress makes his scintillating accessories pop all the more, his motivation is totally understandable – and effective. From sumptuous candy-colored and floral-print totes (in all shapes and sizes) to ladylike shoulder bags cast in sweet sherbet shades, Marni’s butter-soft bags blend classic and contemporary design details to sublime effect – and make the perfect finishing touch to any outfit. What’s more, the label’s capacious styles boast enough room for all of your daily essentials. Similarly, Marni’s elevated take on the classic hobo bag strikes the perfect balance between ladylike and laidback. Butter-soft leather, finished with a structural jade-green Perspex handle, it perfectly combines Marni’s modern art influences with the label’s reputation for creating head-turning yet endlessly versatile pieces.
While this collection may have debuted back in February, when the global outlook was arguably at its most bleak, it’s now available to shop and wear almost six months on – at a time when our social diaries are slowly beginning to fill and when women across the world are beginning to shun loungewear in favor of mood-boosting additions to their post-lockdown closets. In many ways, it appears that life is imitating art… so by embracing a more optimistic and forward-thinking view, Rossi has created a colorful – in every sense of the word – collection that really is more relevant than ever.