Marni's Francesco Risso Discusses His Relationship to Art

Vincent van Gogh, Marcel Duchamp, and Andy Warhol—three figures who changed the rules of art—-have long fascinated Francesco Risso. Since 2016, Risso has been the creative director of Marni, following ten years at Prada. Founded in Milan in 1994 by Swiss designer Consuelo Castiglioni, Marni is vibrant, wearable, and aspirational. After replacing Castiglioni, Risso—who studied at FIT—has continued Marni’s unique aesthetic while incorporating the work of artists. Risso’s approach to runway shows is avant-garde. At Marni’s Spring/Summer 2025 show, guests were greeted with a poem printed on origami, a nod to the collection's theme of transformation, and a pianist performed live on the runway as models showed off the ephemeral and romantic looks. 

Risso has an essential, emotional relationship with art: he collects it, frequents it, breathes it, and has a fine art background. Although Risso’s collections designed for Marni often graze the territories of art, he shuns the moniker of artist. Starting in 2024, Marni has hosted a program of art residencies Risso calls “the secret of the magician," in which the brand collaborates with artists across a variety of concentrations and mediums. This approach to ideation represents Risso’s influence.

Read on as Risso speaks to L’OFFICIEL about his time at Marni, his relationship to art, and the art residencies.

L’OFFICIEL: When did you start relating to art in a more conscious way?

FRANCESCO RISSO: When I realized that I could draw very well, I was a teenager and art school allowed me to activate technicalities I didn’t know I had. I imagined for myself a life dedicated to drawing; then I realized that clothes were my mission.

L'O: What is your first art-related memory?

FR: Now that you make me think about it, I realize that I have never paid attention to it, yet I am intrigued by this. Who knows what was behind that first impact? I have no precise memory of this; I see more than anything the moment when, after the first adventurous years of life spent on a sailboat [on holiday] with my parents, we moved to my grandfather’s house. On the walls there were paintings that led me on the artistic path towards everything that involves the construction of a dress.

"At Marni, the use of color and painting is integral."

L’O: How much of your fine-art training have you brought into your fashion?

FR: At Marni, the use of color and painting is integral. I’m not saying we’re artists, but we are painting all the time and have turned this practice into an incredible asset. There are exceptional talents on the team, which is a rarity because there are very few people in the fashion industry who know how to paint. I’m not talking about the typical sketch; I am referring to painting. We own all designs, so we don’t have to ask for help from external suppliers. Many people said: "Because you make hand-painted garments, you will never sell them.” Not true. By applying ourselves now, we can transpose certain depth, certain textures in the processes of industrialization.

L’O: Do you consider your collections works of art?

FR: No, there are fundamental differences between a dress and a painting. In some cases, the artist has an intimate relationship with the work through which he transmits an emotion.

L’O: There are several collaborations with artists that you have made with Marni. Is there any that you particularly remember?

FR: It gives me the creeps when I retrace what we did. We collaborated with Magdalena Suarez Frimkess, the Venezuelan ceramist who is now 95 years old. Until she was 84, her talent remained relatively unknown; she made crazy vases, small sculptures, tiles, and cups in a warehouse without showing anything. Through a mutual friend, we were able to connect. With her, as with everyone else, Marni has an unusual approach. The collaborations are in the name of total freedom for the artist. There is no brief in which I tell you what to do or I take three of your drawings and slap them on a shirt. The principle is to do something together where we can learn from each other.

L’O: What do you learn from these artist collaborations?

FR: I have the opportunity to see Marni from the artist’s unique point of view. I think, for example, of the English musician Dev Hynes. From him, I learned how important the sensory component is. Together we built the sound of Marni. Michele Rizzo, choreographer and performer, also comes to mind. Thanks to his works in motion I discovered eroticism, a quality that the Marni of yesteryear lacked. For the men’s show Fall/Winter 2020/2021, we involved performers and dancers, about 200 people all on stage, and me alone backstage, to say: What am I doing here alone? It was a powerful emotion, a demonstration that sensuality comes from movement, not from a neckline.

L’O: What do these collaborations accomplish?

FR: I believe that I have given freedom, openness, and in some cases lucidity to artists. I have provided a platform where artists can expand their creativity in a different context.

L’O: What is the future of Marni as it relates to art?

FR: We have started a series of art residencies that will be repeated several times during the year.

L’O: How do they work and who have you worked with?

FR: The idea is to use the space of Viale Umbria in Milan when we do not use it for sales campaigns or shows. Last September, Slawn and Soldier, Olaoluwa Akeredolu-Ale and Leonard Iheagwam, two highly esteemed Nigerian artists, were due to arrive. Unfortunately they were denied a visa, so we decided to join them in London. For twenty days we painted together, day and night, on large canvases. It was a strong experience, for them also a big change of scenery, due to the daily work in small studios.

L’O: And what will you do with those works?

FR: You will soon find out.