Francesco Risso
Creative Director, Marni
The eccentric designer is leading Marni into the new era after its founder and creative designer stepped down in 2016.
Marni’s new creative director is leading the Italian fashion house into a new era after Consuelo Castaglioni stepped down in 2016, upholding the label’s reputation of mixing eccentricity with intellectualism, while bringing in his own aesthetic.
Born in Sardinia, Italy, Risso spent the first years of his life on a boat with his parents until they moved to Genoa to live with family. Risso learned his earliest skills from his grandmother, a well-known tailor in Genoa, before moving to Florence aged 16 to attend Polimoda. He then studied at the Fashion Institute Technology in New York and completed an MA at Central Saint Martins in London under Louise Wilson .
Risso worked for Anna Molinari at Blumarine, Alessandro Dell'Acqua and Malo, before joining Prada in 2008 to work on womenswear and special projects. He was appointed creative director of Marni in October 2016.
His debut collection for Marni was Fall/Winter 2017, which BoF’s editor-at-large said “upped the psychedelic ante which is quintessential to Marni.”
Risso heads up Marni with his boyfriend, American designer Lawrence Steele, with whom he shares a home in Milan.
VITAL STATISTICS
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Francesco Risso Exits Marni
The Italian designer crafted a colourful, DIY-inflected universe during 10 years at the OTB-owned brand.
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The Italian designer crafted a colourful, DIY-inflected universe during 10 years at the OTB-owned brand.
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What is The BoF 500?
The people shaping the global fashion industry, curated by the editors of The Business of Fashion, based on nominations and on-the-ground intelligence from around the world.
