In news that broke this morning, Consuelo Castiglioni has announced that she will be leaving Marni and her role as Creative Director. Castiglioni founded Marni alongside her husband Gianni and has been at the helm of the Italian brand for over 20 years. Her replacement, announced just moments after the news that Castiglioni was leaving, will be designer Francesco Risso. In a statement, she said the reasons for her leaving were personal: “these were hectic and exciting years which absorbed all of my energies to create a project I am proud of. Thanks also to the constant support of my family who allowed me to stay true to my idea, I built a brand with a precise and recognizable identity.” And, with Castiglioni so responsible for that aesthetic – sophisticated, forward-thinking design with a deft use of print and texture – it begs the question of how best for Risso to proceed. Risso, an Italian designer, has previously worked for Molinari, Alessandro Dell’Acqua, and Malo, before joining Prada in 2008 where he worked on women’s show collections. Renzo Rosso of the Only The Brave group, who took over full ownership of Marni in 2016 said in statement: “The world pays tribute to the original vision of Consuelo, and to a unique brand which we are proud to have in our group. I wish her the very best. I am happy to welcome Francesco, whose talent will contribute to writing a new chapter in the history of this house which is Italian at heart and global in spirit.” We wish the best of luck to Consuelo in whatever’s next and look forward to seeing what Francesco brings to the house.
