On June 18, OTB Group announced that Francesco Risso is stepping down as creative director of Italian luxury brand Marni, bringing his nearly decade-long tenure to a close.
Risso was appointed in 2016 as the successor to founder Consuelo Castiglioni. At the time, he had limited experience in the spotlight as a designer, and his appointment was met with some skepticism. However, he overcame the initial headwinds and brought a new wave of creativity to the house.
His designs are characterized by a handcrafted aesthetic, sculptural silhouettes, bold use of color, and emotionally driven storytelling. His vision of maximalism was especially evident in concept-heavy collections such as the Spring/Summer 2024 “2D Flower Dresses” and the Fall/Winter 2024 theme “Interior Zoo.”
Risso also approached fashion as a Gesamtkunstwerk—a total work of art—actively engaging in interdisciplinary collaborations. By organically connecting with art and culture, he pursued an experimental and poetic form of expression, where a dress becomes a canvas, and the canvas, a dress.
Upon his departure, Risso shared the following with Vogue Business, “Marni has been a studio, a stage, a dream. It carried colour, instinct, care, and gave space for people to be themselves. It taught me how to build with feeling and how powerful true collaboration can be.”
OTB founder and chairman Renzo Rosso also expressed his appreciation for Risso’s contributions, saying: “Francesco has embraced the spirit and the values of the house, and together with the team brought them to new grounds, building the foundations for a new and exciting chapter of Marni. Francesco is a unique designer and an artist at heart, and I wish him only the best for the future.”
Risso also expressed gratitude to Rosso: “Thank you for believing in me, for giving me the front seat on a journey that became more than I could have imagined.”
Born on a sailing boat in the 1980s, Risso left home at 16 to study fashion at Polimoda in Florence. He later attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and earned an M.A. from Central Saint Martins in London. His professional journey included working with Anna Molinari at Blumarine, Alessandro Dell’Acqua, and Malo, before joining Prada in 2006, where he spent a decade working on womenswear.
At the time of writing, Marni has not yet announced a successor. Risso’s departure marks the end of a transformative chapter for the brand, and the fashion world now awaits the next move from both Marni and Risso.
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