A Fine Art
Painterly prints plus creative spirit equals chic summer style at Marni
Italian label Marni has been in an ongoing dialogue with the art world since it first launched in 1994. This season, the brand’s creative director Francesco Risso continued this cerebral conversation with a collection that was inspired by an exhibition he saw at London’s Tate Britain called “All Too Human”. The collective works of Francis Bacon, Lucien Freud, Jenny Saville, and other 20th century British masters who painted nudes, helped spark his thought process on the beauty of the human body. For Risso, his toile is like a canvas and his designs are truly like walking works of art.
Every season feels like an adventure at Marni and spring/summer 2019 was evocative of a romantic and spirited summer escape. Showcasing the collection at Milan Fashion Week, Risso’s design eye was as graphic, distinctive, idiosyncratic and playful as ever. The models strode out like a moving tableau vivant in languid Grecian dresses, loosely-tailored separates speckled brush-stroke color splashes, and easy day dresses with pretty painterly florals.
Another easy day-to-night ensemble is a pair of luxe white pajamas that are daubed with bold splashes of sapphire. This uncomplicated yet polished co-ord is perfect for stylish women with busy schedules – just add flat sandals and a ladylike top-handle bag for a refined day look. Marni is renowned for its elevated and versatile basics, and while Risso is at the more provocative end of the spectrum when it comes to curating our wardrobes, there is plenty of summer workwear to choose from here, too.
The sleek and sophisticated shirtdress is a dream one-and-done outfit for days that take you from a morning boardroom meeting to a gallery opening with no time to change in-between. With a focus on form and fluidity, it is elegantly nipped in at the waist to create an ultra-flattering silhouette.
Born in Sardinia, Italy, and raised in Genoa, Risso cut his teeth under the tutelage of his grandmother, who was a well-known tailor. By age 16, he had moved to Florence to study at revered fashion school Polimoda. From here, he attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and completed an MA at Central Saint Martins in London. He worked at brands such as Blumarine and Alessandro Dell’Acqua, before joining Prada in 2008. Since his appointment at Marni in October 2016, he’s been lauded for his experimental approach to prints, and his innate ability to reinterpret and revitalize classic pieces. Women whose style is creative and distinctive are naturally drawn to Marni, and so it comes as no surprise that actresses Maggie Gyllenhaal and Sigourney Weaver are firm fans. They certainly won’t be the only ones who are besotted with the breath-taking spring/summer 2019 collection.