Milan - RTW SS13 - Marni

City: Milan
Season: Ready-To-Wear, Spring/Summer 2013
Show: Marni

Marni design director Consuelo Castiglioni, an unfailingly modest lady who gives few interviews, does not pander to whatever might be considered ‘hip’ or 'cool’ at any given time. Rather she redefines our understanding of such things, a trait which sets her apart from other Italian fashion houses, many of which prefer to call upon classicism in favour of true innovation. Thanks to Castiglioni’s ingenuity the Marni brand is always one step ahead of the pack, and Spring/Summer 2013 provides ample evidence of this. Castiglioni’s customary print-clashing was as abundant as ever - see Tilda Lindstam (centre left) and Janice Alida (top left), as was her fondness for a richly textured cover-up à la Kati Nescher (bottom left), and yet all of this typical irreverence was brought down to earth with crisp cuts in unadorned black and white, as showcased by Julia Nobis (centre right) and Katlin Aas (top centre). In the hands of a lesser designer the printed skirt suit on Elena Bartels (centre) might have resembled the curtains in my Aunt Marion’s house - in plain English, it could have been a disaster - but if anyone knows how to handle top-to-toe prints it is Consuelo Castiglioni of Marni. I am still coveting about umpteen different pieces from Autumn/Winter 2012’s Wednesday Addams-inspired collection, with all its exquisite brocades and scarlet capes, but come  time for Spring/Summer 2013 I will certainly be ogling outfits such as the effortlessly chic affair worn by Bette Franke (bottom centre). I love Marni…do you?

This piece was originally published on alisonlaurabell.tumblr.com in October 2012.