Francesco Risso is the new man in at Marni – boldly, the brand decided to debut his talents at Milan’s menswear season, rather than storing up until womenswear. Perhaps it shows how important menswear is to Marni? Or how important Marni is to menswear – the label has a definite cadre of followers, a style tribe who love its kooky cuts and unconventional takes on luxury. Risso may be new to the Marni plate, but seems to have a preternatural grasp of what those customers will want and what Marni menswear should look like – namely eccentric, but elegant, with something a little strange in the proportions, to cod-quote Sir Francis Bacon. Marni’s man this season was rumpled and crumpled, with big baggy trews slouching over cartoonish pumped-up trainers. There was something eminently desirable about the whole thing – especially the fuzzy wuzzy textiles, either emulating the label’s trademark fur or actually constructed of it. A few jackets were patched with fake fur; a brief number was wholly made out of the stuff, and was fit for a seventies Rod Stewart; while sleeves came flanked with beavers, and beanie hats were constructed of alpaca. They looked oddball, a bit mad – and very, very Marni. Risso looks to be having a whale of a time, and so did we. The raucous applause that greeted his bow is sure indication that this house is in safe hands.
Photographs by Jason Lloyd-Evans
