Marni S/S 2018

Scene setting: For the first show of the day on a sunny Milan morning, guests accessed the Marni set through a vibrant garden filled with roses and oversized blooms. On entering the large industrial showspace, they were greeted with sleek wooden benches, cushioned in upholstery with a retro bent that featured at the Marni S/S 2018 men’s show. This time the blue, green and yellow leathers were swapped for soft red panels in leather and textured pony skin. A loud punk soundtrack mixed by Frédéric Sanchez blasted through the space, climaxing with The Cramps.
 
Mood board: For his second womenswear collection for the house, creative director Francesco Risso envisioned a woman travelling through time – dancing at a1920s-style knees up one minute and skateboarding down a half pipe the next – picking up fragments of her experiences along the way. This culminated in a collection of ‘lost and found’ elements: frayed hem balloon skirts, oversized dresses made from a patchwork of fabrics and embellished with bright beads, tapestry coats and boyish baggy pants. There were aristocratic blooms and utilitarian checks, furs and futuristic plastics. The mash-up of references and materials boasted an unfinished flair – think raw hems and trailing threads, exposed seams and haphazard embellishments.
 
Finishing touches: Kitten heels had encrusted details drawn onto them with permanent marker, earrings were made from contorted twists of gold and dangled with colourful beads and pearls, and boxy bags were finished with punky chain handles, customised with trails of fabric and beaded friendship bracelets.