Washed Up

Perhaps it was the colourful benches atop what looked like transparent, blow-up lilos, but there was a distinctively shipwrecked feel to Francesco Risso’s second men’s show as Creative Director for Marni. Not a sinister shipwreck as such – think Moonrise Kingdom or Swiss Family Robinson – but there was certainly enough dishevelment to match up with the collection’s “Lost and Found” title. Models appeared clutching sailboat-adorned leather bags, hair was styled to be wild and wispy, while collars were left half tucked into suit jackets.

Boyish Charm

There was also, certainly, a sense of childish reverie infused into the mature silhouettes of Risso’s collection. Each suit had been given a youthful quality – a bit of extra room on the trousers or a contrasting tie – a creative flourish serving to narrowly prevent the wearer from transgressing into the realm of adulthood. Other ensembles featured running bibs, argyle vests, and sports bonnets; a distinct nod to free-spirited epoch of childhood.

Patchwork Tailoring

Keeping to Risso’s theme of creative disorder were a series of jackets, trousers, and shirts that had been expertly patched together with contrasting – yet somehow still fitting – swatches of fabric. Pinstripe pieces were lined with plain panels, suits were fashioned out of complimenting browns and beiges, while the seams on one leather jacket were formed from standout blue thread. The result was a conscious collage of playful disobedience and fortuitous sophistication.