Marni could not host a presentation this season due to the coronavirus pandemic. In these extenuating circumstances, Vogue Runway has made an exception to its policy and is writing about this collection via photos and remote interviews.
Marni’s pre-fall collection will deliver to newly reopened stores this week; it was designed and produced in the Before—that is, before the coronavirus outbreak hit us, tsunami-like. Now that lockdowns have been eased in most European countries, the After’s collective mood seems to be slowly lifting, with life apparently resuming a more optimistic “new-normal” pace. Fashion designers, having spent the last couple of months questioning the industry’s practices, are now back at work with their teams in their studios, though access remains off-limits to external visitors. This review was conducted over a Zoom call.
“We’re all wearing protective hazmat suits when working at testing prototypes, patternmaking, and trying on samples,” said Francesco Risso, his voice sounding slightly metallic from the other side of the screen. “We all look like NASA employees.” Yet despite the limitations, the mood chez Marni is now considerably lighter. “We’re back full force, more vital than ever, full of esprit, and with lots of projects for the future,” he enthused.
Not being able to see the clothes up close, I steered the conversation toward the conceptual focus of the collection, asking Risso what led his narrative at the time of development and how he feels about it now, after all that has happened. “The idea we worked around for pre-fall was Undress Your Mind,” he said. “The necessity of a new essentialism, of a reduced, purer aesthetic, of a more concentrated offer was already there, and very much part of our conversation at Marni at that time. Looking at it now,” he continued, “it feels almost prescient in its direction, and utterly on point on what our attitude will be going forward.” But how can a desire for timeless classicism be convincingly expressed at a label known for its creative eloquence? “We went thoroughly through our extensive archives; our legacy is truly amazing,” explained Risso. “The need to streamline and reduce isn’t at all at odds with what we are. You just have to do it à la Marni.”
Not a designer used to shortcuts or crowd-pleaser references, Risso looked to the unconventional sobriety of the Beat Generation and the indulgence and sensuality of 1920s flappers, as well as the timeless stillness of certain Nordic landscapes for inspiration. He mixed and stirred all these ingredients into his very peculiar repertoire; his Marni is a cabinet of curiosities, its vernacular continuously disassembled and reassembled as through the eyes of a slightly bonkers connoisseur. Playing with hybridization, he patched together opposing tropes: A proper checkered peacoat was softened by a languid, asymmetrical blanket thrown over the shoulders with a languorous feminine gesture; a straight-cut classic white wool car coat was blown up to humongous proportions; and a black leather biker jacket was combined with a voluminous tentlike checkered cloak with results that were charmingly twisted.
Elsewhere Risso concocted ’20s-inspired dresses in liquid satin, crinkled and draped voluptuously along the body, with opulent bows gathering pools of fabric around the hips and plissé fans sprouting from peplum waists. A rose motif printed on a sleek white T-shirt dress was sensuous and painterly; it could’ve been made by an absinthe-indulging Poiret.
In its quiet flamboyance the collection showcased a thoughtful new balance between excess and classicism, rigor and sensuality, deconstruction and maximalism. “Looking at this collection after the lockdown, it ultimately speaks of deconstructing a mental attitude,” reflected Risso. “Undress Your Mind means removing the scaffolding from inside your head, so to speak. It’s something that we all had to do during the confinement. Finding a meaningful equilibrium between a sense of real substance—value and timelessness on one hand, and creative indulgence and expressive emphasis on the other—is something we all need to address today. Keeping the pragmatism, but enjoying languor and libido. Classicism and essentialism, but also Marni-ism. Doing it our own way. Now we’re really focused on who we are: being true to our essence as a label and asserting the core of our values; working hard on what we stand for; honoring our unique legacy and bringing it into the future—with passion, creativity, and love.”
