In keeping with his increasingly radical practice and implicit critique of today’s fashion system, Francesco Risso takes the concept of collaboration to new heights for Marni. He does so not only by testing the boundaries between fashion and art, but also by questioning the boundaries of authorship.
Adventure is obviously included in such a journey, but Risso seems to enjoy taking the challenge head-on. And what could be more fearless than luring a true artist—and a painter at that—into Marni’s inner sanctum, as other brands have done? The see-now, buy-now resort collection marks the start of this new direction, with Flaminia Veronesi’s longtime tenure with the label. (The Italian artist was also at the spring show in New York in September.)
During a date at Marni headquarters, Risso introduced Veronesi, an old friend and imaginative The allegorical paintings of force are true to the sensibility he introduced at Marni. “We approach reality creatively through play in a similar way,” she explains, “a play that takes place tactilely, activated by the touch of the hand, that expresses a feminine, genderless originality that brings We go back to our visceral, visceral side.” Risso interjects: “The concept of play has been a mainstay for me on the road that defined Marni, so the vision of Flaminia seemed to open up a natural way to The gates of the landscape, we shared the same joy in exploring the simple, childlike pleasures. I believe this was crucial in shaping Marni’s aesthetic.”
Risso and Veronesi’s interactive feel As fluid as one of her swirling, flowing drawings of aquatic life, which has been translated into bias-cut dresses, oversized cargo pants, low-rise pants and jumpers. But beyond the obvious visual appeal of their “creatures,” Risso wanted to emphasize how new synthetic practices added integrity to the projects they created. “I didn’t invite Flaminia to just draw a few drawings to be printed on a series of one-off hoodies,” he explained. “There are so many fake ideas around, sneakily plastered on tens of thousands of products. What I want to achieve is an authentic, creative artistic partnership that allows us to grow together and maybe even contribute to Visually less conspicuous items in a collection add intrinsic value. The impoverishment of thought exposed by all hyper-branded, status-driven icon products is a shocking way to drain us of being creative in any sense the work of the creator.” He continued: “I really think that there is also a desire for quality—quality and integrity—in the production of ideas and products. The dedication and discipline that went into its creation.”
The collaboration with Veronesi evoked a counterintuitive stripped-down approach mixed with previous Marni collections for gorgeousness. For the resort, the silhouettes have a clarity and purity only enhanced by the contrasting poetic intensity of the prints based on Veronesi paintings. Even the look of a contrast-striped knit had a more streamlined vibrancy. For now, Risso is keen to keep the shape, volume and ornamentation from overwhelming the wearer’s personality. What he was after was to maximize the potential for self-expression by remaking classics. That said, “I’m not a minimalist in the least,” he concludes. “On the contrary.” Despite good intentions, leopards cannot easily lose their spots.
