Voce del dizionario della moda MAM-E: Marni

The Origin of Marni

It’s a luxury brand founded in 1994. The fashion line started in 1994, when Consuelo Castiglioni became known for her contributions to the design of fur, stemming from her husband’s family fur business. At the time, fur was typically designed in an old-fashioned manner, but Castiglioni instead treated it as a normal fabric to make modern, wearable clothing. Her fashion line, named after her sister Marni, grew as her customers needed something to wear under or with their fur.

Brand Development

Consuelo and Gianni Castiglioni presented the first collection in the year 1994, an eclectic and iconic line of clothing and accessories for women. The 1995 collection of the house was photographed by Mario Testino. The first Spring/Summer collection of the brand was presented in 1997. 1998 marked the launch of bag and shoe collection of the house.

The time period of 2000s saw the brand expand and flourish in various markets, earning a global appeal. In the year 2000, the first boutique found its place on Sloane Street in London and Marni Japan was also established this year. The first boutique was opened in Milan on Via Sant’Andrea. It launched its first Men’s collection in 2002. The same year, the first boutique of the house was opened in Paris on Avenue Montaigne and in Tokyo in the Aoyama district. The following year in 2003, the brand launched its first jewellery collection and the brand launched its eyewear collection in the year 2005 while opening boutiques for the first time in Los Angeles and Hong Kong in the same year.  Marni Virtual Store was launched in Europe and the US in 2006. The same year ‘Christmas Charity Project’, a project aimed at helping schools in different countries is born the same year. The first accessories boutique opened in Milan in 2007 with the launch of Balloon bag.

Collaborations

In 2006 the house collaborated also with Richard Prince for Spring/Summer 2007. In the year 2010, collaborated with Claude Caillol and Gary Hume for the collections and with Matteo Thun for “The Wooden Beacons” installation at the Milan Furniture. Marni fragrance was launched in collaboration with Estée Lauder in 2012 and the same year, the company was acquired by the OTB group led by Renzo Rosso. The year 2013 saw the launch of the Trunk bag. The brand also collaborated with Isetan on The Ethical Fashion Initiative – Kenya 2013. It opened Flagship Stores in via Montenapoleone in Milan, Maiden Lane in San Francisco, Mount Street in London in 2015. Same year held, “Becoming Marni” Installation during the 56th Venice Biennale and presented the Men’s Collection at the Marino Marini Museum. The brand became a Guest Designer at Pitti Immagine Uomo 2015.

Founder and creative director Consuelo Castiglioni stepped down in 2016. Francesco Risso joined Marni as new creative director the same year.

Marni Style

Castiglioni, who has always been the label’s chief designer, is responsible for Marni’s aesthetic of “European-inflected bohemianism.” Other descriptors that have been applied to Marni designs include “quirky,” “feminine,” “off-beat,” and “funky.” Early design features included idiosyncratic prints and vintage-inspired shapes and fabrics; Marni has retained these elements but has become more streamlined. Other Marni hallmarks include juxtapositions of texture; colour-blocking; a palette focused on grey, beige, and blue, in which bright colours are interspersed; and unusual shapes, such as bell hemlines, gathering, asymmetry, and large volumes.

Finance

The 2017 of the OTB group closed at double speed. In fact, Renzo Rosso’s group recorded an increase in EBIT and an improvement in its financial position, but with a 2.4% decline in turnover at constant exchange rates. The group, which includes among its Diesel brands, Maison Margiela, Marni, Paula Cademartori, Viktor & Rolf, Staff International and Brave Kid, has filed 2017 with a turnover of 1.52 million euros while an overall increase in margins, together with cost optimization actions, have allowed the Group’s EBIT to reach 21.5 million euros against 5.1 million euros the previous year. The net financial position is positive for 84 million euros. At the same time, the consolidated net profit, equal to 3 million euros, is in line with the previous year, despite a one-off tax burden of approximately 7 million euros, referring to regulatory changes in the US and Japan.

“OTB – reads a statement from the Veneto group – is in a phase of organizational transformation within a constantly evolving macroeconomic scenario. Marni, Maison Margiela and the other high-end brands of the group continue to show a growth trend, showing vitality and speed in capturing the changes “. In the statement, Otb claimed that both brands” are performing with double digit growth worldwide, especially in Asian markets.

Current Situation

Francesco Risso is the creative director since 2016.

The brand sells clothing in sixteen countries; boutiques locations include London, New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Beijing, Shanghai, Sydney, Moscow, Kuwait, Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo. Online sales began in 2006. Marni’s line is made in Italy, and does not have any licensees.