MARNI CAPTURES THE ZEITGEIST – CHAOS – WITH ITS AW22 SET DESIGN
Photo Courtesy of Marni
8 mar 2022, for frame
Location
20162 Milan, Metropolitan City of Milan, Italy
Design
Brand
Music
A jungle-like, chaotic runway overtook a Milan industrial building for Marni’s latest show.
Key features
The Marni AW22 took place at Deposito Generi di Monopolio, located north of Milan. Most of the area is still occupied by the industrial buildings belonging to the former Manifattura Tabacchi, whose origin dates to 1929. Marni took advantage of the atmosphere: the set was a dimly lit world thoroughly overtaken by nature. Models used flashlights to forge a path in the darkness between standing spectators. Nearly 2,000 plants were needed to enliven scenographer Mario Torre's spatial renders. Bamboo, eucalyptus, carex, geranium, ivy, plus grass, musk, leaves and branches populated the space, ranging from 20 cm to three m – and all returned to the greenhouses they came from post-show. It took a month for the production team to create the backstage and technical facilities for the apocalyptic fantasy world.
Frame's take
It’s hard what Marni's art director Francesco Risso had in his mind when he envisioned the show, which is designed to reflect the endless mingling of old and new. The set’s submarine-like dark, sinister fog called to mind the ambience of past John Galliano shows, hitting a sensitive spot amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The idea that a fashion show can present a microcosm offering a perspective on society, culture, art, architecture and fashion is nothing new. At the same time, only a few of them manage create chill while capturing the Zeitgeist precisely. In recent fashion history, the first show to anticipate the future was Balenciaga’s post-COVID AW20 runway, which creative director Demna described as ‘the blackest show he ever did’. Now Marni asks: ‘Where do we from here?’