Francesco Risso Departs Marni

After almost a decade together, Marni and creative director Francesco Risso have parted ways. “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,” said Renzo Rosso, chairman of OTB (the parent company of Marni), in a statement.

Risso, who began his career at Prada, was appointed creative director of Marni in 2016. Over the past nine years, he pioneered a strong artistic vision that pushed the boundaries of textiles and expressionism, especially amidst the reign of quiet luxury. His fall 2024 collection was a beautiful ode to the idea of a blank canvas, the artistic process, and the impasto painting technique, in which paint is heavily applied to create 3D textural effects.

Backstage at the fall 2024 show.

“I will always be grateful to Renzo for believing in me, for giving me the front seat on a journey that became more than I could have imagined. Marni has been a studio, a stage, a dream. It carried color, instinct, care, and gave space for people to be themselves,” said Risso in a statement. “It taught me how to build with feeling, and how powerful true collaboration can be. Thank you to the whole Marni team, and to all the friends who joined along the way, and here’s to more extraordinary journeys ahead!”

The departure marks a third significant shift within the house’s parent company OTB. In a few short weeks, Glenn Martens will make his debut at Maison Margiela during couture, while Simone Bellotti will show his first collection for Jil Sander come September (not to mention the flurry of other creative directorial debuts across the coming couture and ready-to-wear season).

No announcement has been made about Risso’s replacement yet, but if the past few months have taught us one thing, it’s to look out for more surprises.