Nice seats at Marni. Coloured leather, v chic. Nice collection, too. Mr Risso’s pared it back a bit from his debut, which is no bad thing. And that paring back, the not throwing every single idea into a collection at once, made this feel a bit more “Marni” – something we can’t wholly explain, or put our finger on, but it’s this kind of eccentric, singular way of dressing, tinged with the Seventies – camp collar shirts, wide-leg trousers, miniature knitwear – revitalised with brilliant colours and prints. Clothing where the proportions, particularly of the tailoring, are just slightly off. Same with the accessories, which are just a little bit wrong. But right. All that was all here, and done well. Which makes for some desirable stuff. That said, it wasn’t a straight homage – there were welcome touches of Risso’s more imaginative vision too – polo-neck t-shirts in coloured stripes were lengthy, falling like dresses, or hats that hung around the neck and sat on the shoulder. An end section where illustrated apron-like pinafores sat on the body like flags, was Risso’s vision alone, whilst a deft clashing of prints – Argyll sat next to Hawaiian, stripe on different type of stripe – proved Risso has found the right home. It all adds to the feeling that he’s settling into his stride here – finding a middle ground between brand and his own vision as designer – and, in the process, creating plenty of clothes that people will want to wear. Separate these looks out and there’s no doubt it’s going to sell. A good sign for Marni, and hopefully proof that, after a few season’s of upheaval that the Italian house is back in good hands.
Photographs by Jason Lloyd-Evans
