“ I’ m learning a lot, and that is part of the process,” Risso says.“ You make mistakes; you learn”
replies almost instantly.“ Working together is easy, effortless. We know each other’ s minds instinctively.”
It’ s a knowledge honed by a decade together exploring the city both designers chose to adopt as their own. Although Risso says his first impression of Milan was sorely lacking—“ It felt gray and cold and hard to live in”— he has learned to understand it and love it.“ Blood is pumping through its veins again,” he says. One might even say that the city’ s jarring admixture of arte povera grayness and unabashed luxury informs both Marni and Risso.
He and Steele spend spare moments trawling the artists’ editions in Libreria Bocca and agonizing over purchases from the impeccably curated furniture in Nilufar, owned by his friend Nina Yashar. Milan is also close enough to Genoa for jaunts down the autostrada— Risso is soon to take delivery of his“ dream car,” a spectacularly beautiful old peacock-blue Citroën DS— to his favorite store in the world, Pescetto.“ It is one of my highest obsessions, where I buy half of my vintage clothes,” Risso says.“ It was very popular in the sixties, and on the top floor they still sell treasures from that time— they used to make editions of clothes in Harris Tweed or, with Hermès, amazing sweaters in cashmere or alpaca.” The designer’ s mania for collecting extends down to his socks: Risso lifts the hem of his pants to show me today’ s Pescetto-bought pair in 1960s Filo di Scozia.“ The fine-gauge cotton from that period is very, very good,” he says,“ but expensive!” More expensive than partly inspired by Claes Oldenburg’ s soft sculptures.“ Marni has always been about making sculptural pieces,” he tells me after the show. Next, a twisted and layered heaping of ikat and floral on fitted dresses sometimes punctuated with external bralets( something that clearly builds on his time at Prada) and two pieces in a subtly crackled, high-shine black finish— a strapless, balloon-skirted dress and an overcoat— with their strictness subverted by asymmetrical panels of teddy-bear fluff. At the climax, a series of drawstringcinched dresses in a spongy synthetic are peppered with beads, stones, studs, and shards of recycled CDs.
As for traditional Marni tropes, there is a lot of floral, for sure( but none from the archive), as well as a carefully irreverent use of fur both faux and real on wide-brimmed hats, in off-kilter stoles, or in Muppet-hued coats. One of these coats— also incorporating tiger stripe— is, Risso reluctantly concedes, one of his favorites, something he calls“ the wild personality.” The look reminds him of Edie Sedgwick and sixties experimentalism, which he says is“ something that I love and which is close to the generation Consuelo is part of— but seen through the eyes of my generation.”
Reviews from the press were mixed, though Ken Downing, senior vice president and fashion director of Neiman Marcus, was bullish.“ The quirky, existential, individualistic spirit of Consuelo was there, along with the interesting technological fabrics, the color mixes, the unique silhouette, the juxtaposing volume over volume,” he says.“ But anybody
“ I’ m learning a lot, and that is part of the process,” Risso says.“ You make mistakes; you learn”
the shoes, I ask? Risso laughs and— only momentarily— stops twisting his ringlets.
Paola Bay, a designer and brand consultant, first met Risso through Lawrence when the couple got together.“ He’ s much more than an amazing fashion designer,” she says.“ His creativity extends 360 degrees— whether it’ s an art gallery or a flea market, wherever we go out together he can find and appreciate beauty. I think he has the outlook of a Renaissance man, one who’ s open to experimentation with everything. In a way, he is exactly Marni.”
Back at Viale Umbria on the eve of the show, Risso is staring up at a complicated rig of lanterns tethered by a mile of cable and 81 switches that looms above us. He is unhappy at precisely how these lanterns are casting light on a model wearing a tuftily tactile aquamarine sweater in nylon, a flocked woolen pink skirt, and a pair of neutral not-quite-to-the-knee leather boots topped with tufted fronds of feathery mohair.“ It is not beautiful to see that girl so completely lit,” he says.“ They have to come from darkness into light— because this is the other world. Let’ s go back to work!” Risso calls out, fiddling with the resin beads on his wide-linked golden chain necklace.
The next day dawns. By mid-morning, the Bubble Wrap – upholstered plywood benches that border Risso’ s meandering runway are packed to capacity with editors, buyers, and friends sitting in dimness before Risso’ s lanterns flicker slowly to life. The collection reveals itself in stages. First come a series of oversize padded outfits in gray and taupe followed by a cocooning bright blue coat, all of which are that knows Francesco’ s lineage and his work at Prada recognized the seventies sensibility and the pattern play. I think he was very respectful to Consuelo and to the house, but as with any first collection, everyone’ s lens was laser-focused. Every nod forward is a new chapter.”
Two mornings after the show, I meet Risso back at Cucchi. Coffee is ordered, ringlets are twisted, and I ask him about first impressions.“ Certainly people still need to know me,” he says.“ There was— there is— such a crowd that is so much in love with Consuelo, and that is normal— I understand that. She decided to go, and this is hard for people to digest.”
I ask Risso if he’ s been in touch with Castiglioni, who is now 58. Did he meet her? Ask for advice?“ I met her, and we write each other letters,” he says, though he’ s unwilling to discuss the content of those letters.“ We are in touch— she is an extremely lovely person. I have a very high respect for all she has done. I’ m learning a lot, and that is part of the process. You make mistakes; you learn.”
But learning, Risso clarifies, does not mean changing course in the face of criticism.“ It’ s not about making adjustments,” he says.“ It’ s about a process: the expression of visions, myriad stimulations. That’ s what I would love to achieve.” For Marni’ s resort collection, that vision, those stimulations, translate into“ a lot of prints and clashes of prints, and the idea of having a romantic edge applied to very formal wear,” Risso says.“ Mainly, though, it is about making beautiful objects. Eclecticism and surprise are the core of this brand— and I feel that in myself, too.” □
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