Sentimental tributes to Francesco Risso’s Parisian memories highlight the dedication that went into the Marni SS24 collection, presented as a guest show in Paris Fashion Week
Marni’s world tour: Showing in Paris Fashion Week
A mini world tour starting off from the brand’s native Milan and going through New York and Tokyo now led Marni to Paris. Francesco Risso has been boosting the eclecticism of the brand since his appointment as creative director in 2016, after 8 years at Prada. He has most recently been on a journey of building connections all around the world and infusing the Italian brand with international points of view.
Paris was a natural, yet nerve-racking choice of location as the next step in this journey. Risso had the opportunity to connect with the biggest hub of fashion and apply his new experience he gained along the way. In a way, it’s the peak point of all the travels, and a chance to bring everything together. The city is also important on a personal level. Risso’s heartfelt and handwritten note to the guests connected him further to the city through an array of memories.
He reminisces of when he was just a teen in the French city, attending a party and encountering someone wearing an encapsulating scent. This scent stayed with him for years, along with the fleeting moment itself. A quest to find this perfume ensued, which although never fruitful, gave Risso a passion and dedication that he channeled into the collection.
Risso is also taken back to another childhood memory, one of when he would visit a friend in their 7th arrondissement apartment. The highlight of their days would be when they saw what he calls a mythical apparition from the window. This was no other than their neighbor Karl Lagerfeld, who he saw as an epitome of devotion to his craft. Such a reflection connected the dots together, as the selected show location was Karl Lagerfeld’s old house on Rue de l’Université.
Marni SS 2024 – Artisanal details and Marni house codes
Presenting his new collection in a city he referred to as his old-time love boosted the sense of dedication. Handiwork took center stage and opened the doors to a secret world. What from afar seemed like stripes and checkered prints scattered throughout the collection, up close revealed themselves to be intarsia all woven by hand. The attention to even the smallest of details was a clear manifestation of Marni’s strong artisanal outlook.
Connecting to people was another key theme in this collection. Risso takes pride in his effort to understand what people truly want, going out of his way to spend time with and talk to customers. The worldwide travels also showcased this at an international level. Knowing people’s love for his dedication, he tapped into Marni’s tried and true trio of stripes, checks, and florals for the new collection.
Transitional looks in all colors at Paris Fashion Week – Marni SS 2024
The show opened with the sounds of a live orchestra, and the first array of sleeveless light knits styled with neutral maxi skirts and pants. Marni took transitional weathers seriously for spring and showed layered jackets and coats creating appealing silhouettes. Mini sheer dresses in a variety of colors walked down the runway with high boots, experimenting once again with the balance of both seasons and proportions. Wide and round necklines connected looks, along with structured shapes in a slight a-line cut.
PFW – Marni SS 2024
Colors, checks, and stripes really took the center stage, bringing bright energy into the collection and connecting to what Marni does best. They came in all shapes, sometimes one print or color guiding the look, and sometimes with a joyful mix and match and layering. Accessories complemented this interplay of solids and checks, with smaller shoulder bags and oversized totes adding effortlessness to the looks. Sunglasses matching the bold colors of the bags were also plenty. When neutrals and monochrome black and whites were used, they broke up the rest of the collection at just the right times, keeping things fresh and creating a juxtaposition.
The biggest show-stopping moment came with the florals, where the energy of the seasons was taken literally. Dresses with an explosion of metal flower cutouts brought even more color and joy into the collection. Risso revealed that these were all cut by hand from metal cans. The result was an effect where the flowers erupt from the garments and almost touch the viewer, celebrating passion and devotion once again in the city of love.
Marni SS 2024 Show at Paris Fashion Week
The Marni Spring Summer 2024 Show was presented on the 27th of September in Paris. The third stop of the mini world tour the Italian brand has been on, the guest show in Paris was a celebration of the passion and joy that the city represents. Creative director Francesco Risso tapped into his learnings throughout the journey and infused them with the long-standing codes of the house.
