They say the street is the real runway at fashion week. And out of all the houses of Milan, no one reflects the street style way of dressing quite like Marni. For her fall/winter 15 show, the famously shy Consuelo Castiglioni marched her models down that street style podium of hers to a kind of modern parade music using the beat of the Zola Jesus and Dean Hurley remix of John Carpenter’s Night. It was, not least, a trend parade that recapped — as Marni always does — the season so far, before the Paris shows set in and put their sweeping, defining ideas to fall/winter 15.
So what does the season look like, summed up Castiglioni style? Marni’s tailoring had its usual Japanoise flair to it, but the rigid construction of lapel-less jackets and coats (some sleeveless), used as a canvas for graphic decoration in the shape of fur patches and zips, echoed looks already stuck in your head: that delectably sliced up, ruffled suit at Preen, the sculptural opening suit with the red lapels and lining at Christopher Kane, and Versace’s working girl power tailoring. The flared trouser made an almost token appearance, very floor-length and with slits that made things less 70s.
But most of all, Marni flew the season’s trend flag in its use of panelling and patching. Karl Lagerfeld’s power panelling at Fendi — remember that tan leather skirt with the black sidebars from look thirteen — found a soulmate in Castiglioni’s armour-y leather plates, while the square fur patching also proposed mainly on cuffs by Alessandro Michele at Gucci and Miuccia Prada received the full treatment chez Marni where outerwear and dresses were plastered with big fluffy squares. It was more Jean M. Auel than what’s been going on elsewhere, but Marni definitely pitched in on the forward-march, ferocious spirit of the season.
Credits
Text Anders Christian Madsen
Photography Mitchell Sams