Francesco Risso Exits Marni & Fashion Feels The Void

After nearly a decade of turning Marni into a fever dream of color, emotion, and offbeat elegance, Francesco Risso is stepping down as the brand’s creative director. Confirmed by OTB Group on June 18, the news dropped like a quiet heartbreak — no scandal, no big shake-up, just a chapter closing. No official reason has been given, but it reads like a mutual bow-out: strategic, soft-spoken, and deeply felt.

Risso leaves behind a Marni that feels nothing like the one he inherited in 2016 from founder Consuelo Castiglioni. He took its craft-heavy quirk and exploded it — into poetic silhouettes, psychedelic palettes, and viral shows that turned art-school weirdo energy into red carpet currency. Under him, Marni became the house of emotional maximalism.

Exit Through the Heart 

In his parting words, Risso described Marni as “a studio, a stage, a dream” — and if you’ve followed his work, you know that wasn’t hyperbole. He built with feeling. He made weirdness tender. He taught us how to dress like we meant it. From the fall ’21 Tokyo show to the striped sweaters that launched a thousand TikToks, his Marni was personal.

His departure isn’t just another designer musical chair moment — it hurts. And it comes in the middle of an industry-wide shift, with OTB also reshuffling Maison Margiela and Jil Sander in recent months. There’s a quiet chaos brewing behind the scenes, and Risso’s absence leaves a hole no single appointment can fill.

What Now? 

With no successor named (yet), the future of Marni’s creative direction is wide open — and wildly speculative. Names like Hedi Slimane, Maria Grazia Chiuri, and the Meiers have all been floated, but nothing’s confirmed. Whoever steps in will have to navigate not just a house with legacy, but one still echoing with Risso’s imprint: collage-like, deeply collaborative, and unapologetically heartfelt.

As for Risso? He’s said nothing about what’s next — but after ten years of rewriting what elegance can look like, he’s earned his silence. Fashion will wait. And miss him in the meantime.

A Creative Freefall, or a Reset? 

This isn’t just about Marni. It’s about what’s happening across the board. Designer exits are becoming the new season launch, and every time we blink, there’s another house left leaderless. Maybe this is just the cycle. Or maybe the system’s breaking in slow motion.

Whatever happens next, Francesco Risso showed us that being a creative director doesn’t have to mean being cold, corporate, or untouchable. He made clothes that felt — and that’s a legacy worth holding onto.