Femininity and angularity, languor and dynamism, instinct and rationality. The play of opposites is what Marni is all about. For Pre-Fall, Consuelo Castiglioni stuck to the formula that defines her unique style. No need to stray from it; there was plenty to like in the collection, which offset quirkiness with a sense of elegant restraint.
Pre-Fall collections are typically for smoothing raw edges, making the taste simpler, less spicy, easier to digest—a three-star Michelin chef’s recipe made more palatable. But the ingredients are so distinctive at Marni, a toned-down version doesn’t loose its intensity. Asymmetries and lean volumes were a recurring motif, as were details like coiling frills and furry pom-poms on pointy hems. Elsewhere, roomy slacks in thick corduroy dragged on the floor or were gathered at the ankle with cuffs, and crisp masculine tops were collarless and buttoned at the back, as if by mistake.
Hybrids abounded, their designs rooted in geometry. An apron-cum-dress-cum-vest had loose, sliced panels that curved gracefully at the back; felted wool jackets grew dynamically cut lapels. A capelet-tabard-stole mash-up in patchwork fur wrapped around the waist. Macro flounces of the sculptural type graced a rectangular tunic/vest, worn with jumbo palazzo pants. Furs were neatly bonded; paillettes lit a dark palette with impromptu spark. Prints were idiosyncratic, as they usually are in the Marni universe: lozenges, pirouette figures, geometric confetti. It all came together in a rhythmic balancing act of apparently fractured elements, as if seen through a kaleidoscope. Lady Marni is a complex character.
