Moodboards boasting painstakingly edited abstruse images seem like a thing of the past. In Francesco Risso’s case, they’re definitely not in the picture at Marni. His practice has become increasingly activated by the lives and choices of his ‘interpreters,’ as he calls them—a telling use of words to describe the osmotic connection he’s established with his community of kindred spirits.
Pre-fall was intended as a prelude to Marni’s fall 2022 catwalk show, a term that’s becoming rather inadequate to define Risso’s approach, which now includes more elaborate performances and happenings involving diverse artistic contributions. His interpreters were involved in the collection’s creation. Risso wanted to explore the idea of ‘classic,’ a rather difficult concept to pinpoint, and asked his collaborators and friends to dive into their wardrobes and provide pieces that epitomize their meaning of the word.
“No one came up with something bizarre, costume-y, or weirdly fashionable,” he said. “They all presented pure, simple, nostalgic pieces—a peacoat, a tailored jacket, objects often inconspicuous from a fashion standpoint but rich in memories and emotions. It was interesting to see how everyone had a sort of emotional storage for their treasured repertoire, composed of objects that give you identity, strength, and courage—most of the time they’re the archetypal ones.” A flair for subversive romanticism permeates Risso’s unorthodox aesthetic. “I’m obsessed by how clothes can so intimately and powerfully enshrine the time in which they’ve lived; in Marni’s shows I’ve often asked my interpreters to wear their own clothes mixed with my creations.”
Classic wardrobe staples were “augmented and extended through a Marnification process,” as Risso explained. Energized by quirky colorways, blown-up in off-kilter volumes, and submitted to playful deconstruction and daring inside-out treatments, the results weren’t cliché in the least. Yet the collection retained a sense of charming, askew balance. Covetable standouts included a cocoon robe-coat in reversible tweed with floral-printed lining matching the dress worn underneath (an à la Marni twist on bourgeois proper elegance); vivid faux-fur stoles worn wrapped around slim citycoats and oversized peacoats; and rainbow-striped knitted hoodies and chunky jumpers in fluffy mohair to layer over matching slouchy pants (pajama-dressing brought to bold extremes).
“Clothes are a sort of explorers’ armor,” concluded Risso. “Not impenetrable shields, but rather soft carapaces made out of memories and sentiments—they keep us ready for our fights.”
