“ Marni is a temple of playfulness— I love that it is intelligent and against stereotypes,” Risso says.“ I want to fight to keep that”
NACHO ALEGRE. GROOMING, FRANCESCA ANGELONE. PRODUCED BY MAI. LONDON.
COMING UP RISSO Marni’ s new creative director aims to infuse a kind of youth and vigor to the storied house known for its abundant flora.
“ Marni is a temple of playfulness— I love that it is intelligent and against stereotypes,” Risso says.“ I want to fight to keep that”
Fast-forward a month to the morning before Risso’ s runway debut. Head tilted, ringlets askew, the creative director appears at home pacing the runway while listening to the proposed sound track for the show created by Frédéric Sanchez. A disembodied echo of Erykah Badu’ s“ On & On” pulses across an abstract synth backing track.“ Obsessed!” Risso mutters exaltedly to himself, lost in his work.“ Obsessed!” He claps his hands.“ Genius!”
I stand nearby with Steele, whom Risso has just appointed associate creative director of Marni; henceforth, they will work together as well as live together. I ask Steele about his first meeting with Risso.
“ That depends on which first time you are asking about,” he replies.“ Francesco tends to change, physically, a lot— the first time I met him, he was blond with very long hair. The second time”— a year or so later—“ he had very short hair, almost no hair at all really. In fact, I didn’ t remember having met him before.” Which is not to say, Steele is quick to note, that their first meeting wasn’ t revelatory.“ Oh, it was— a real sparkle-in-the-eye, connection-made moment. It’ s just we had that moment once, and then time passed, and then it happened again.”
I ask Steele if he has concerns about becoming a work partner with his life partner of the last ten years.“ Oh, no,” he
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