Italian luxury fashion brand Marni, founded in 1994 by Consuelo Castiglioni, is acclaimed worldwide for its women’s, men’s, and kids ’ ready-to-wear accessories. In 2012, Marni was acquired by OTB Group (owned by Italian entrepreneur Renzo Ros so) whose brands include Diesel, Mai's son Margiela, Viktor and Rolf, Paula Cademartori, Staff International, and Brave Kid.
Initially, aside from the business of Castiglioni’s fur business, the label became independent of the family business in 1999, and Consuelo Castiglioni developed a fashion-forward, experimental design aesthetic. While fur continued to feature in Marni collections, the brand was widely popular for its original prints designed in alliance with artists such as photographer Richard Prince, pop artist Sir Peter Blake and musician Kim Gordon.
In 2012, Consuelo Castiglioni inked a creative collaboration with H&M, resulting in a sell-out capsule collection.
In 2000, the brand expanded into key markets, opening nearly a hundred standalone stores and consolidating its presence in luxury department stores
The SS20 menswear show highlighted the environmental crisis of plastic waste. For the show, they used over 37,000 pieces of plastic waste to create a large installation that covered the ceiling. It was a metaphor to highlight the impact plastic has on the planet.
While the relaxed silhouette is crucial to the Marni aesthetic, a quick look through the brand’ s archives—both menswear and women’s wear—surfaces another tenet of the brand’s identity: A prolific use of patterns.
From stripes to plaid to hounds tooth to florals to blown-up paintings to checks to photographs, Marni has used everything and anything on T-shirts, jackets, pants, socks, and accessories.
Marni’s slouchy silhouettes have put the onus on the wearer to stand out and on the design team to make waves by doing more than just baring skin.
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