Marni Links With Erykah Badu for Capsule Collection
MILAN — Cocreation is a thing for Marni’s Francesco Risso.
In the latest step of its Marni Jam multidisciplinary program, the brand has teamed with Erykah Badu to create a limited-edition capsule collection codesigned by the Italian brand’s creative director and the American singer and songwriter.
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The program geared at engaging members of Marni’s growing community spans from in-store happenings to codesigned collections and kicked off with the Marni x Carhartt Wip tie-up unveiled in January, followed by a recent collaboration with No Vacancy Inn.
The Marni x Erykah Badu capsule includes women’s ready-to-wear, accessories and footwear and resulted from the prolific exchange of images and references between the two creatives.
“With Erykah it’s been an immediate creative affinity, since our first time together prepping for last year’s Met Gala. Working with her brought me immediately inside the scenes of the movie ‘On a Clear Day You Can See Forever,’ where the lead character, Daisy Gamble, would make plants bloom lushly just with her touch,” said Risso of the creative process. “She has exactly that same capacity, a drive for constant creation.”
Defined by an eclectic bent infused with quirky touches close to Risso’s creative vision for Marni, the collection has a tactile notion best telegraphed by the leather patchwork, the use of velvets, cozy wool, and maxi sequins, as well by the juxtaposition of textures and clashing color combinations.
Case in point: a golden leather jacket is accented with a shearling collar in a muted palette, while leather trenchcoats feature jewel-toned patchwork. A range of satin dresses is spiced up via multicolored velvet panels, while sequins brighten up boxy shirts and skirts. Oversize blazers exude a vintage flair crafted from color block panels of wool, calfskin and suede.
Knitwear, a strong category for Marni in recent seasons, comes in striped and blanket-style, oftentimes featuring unfinished hems. Metallic leather is front and center in accessories, appearing on thigh-high boots and the brand’s signature top-handle Venice bag. Costume jewelry, another of Marni’s distinctive product, is encrusted with crystals and rhinestones.
In keeping with Badu’s personal style, the singer’s over-the-top hats are also part of the capsule collection, reinterpreted to match rtw items in the lineup, including a striped, knitted version.
The capsule hit select Marni stores in the U.S. on Wednesday as the first drop of the fall 2023 collection. A retail rollout in Europe involving the brand’s boutiques and multibrand stores is expected later in the season.
Retail prices range from $2,100 to $9,300 for accessories and from $4,785 to $11,800 for rtw items.
Previewed last week at the Marni SoHo boutique with an event that drew Badu, as well as her daughter, model Puma Curry, in addition to actress Tracee Ellis Ross, musician Teyana Taylor, model Paloma Elsesser, and rapper Joey Badass, among others, the collection is flanked by a dedicated campaign art directed and styled by Badu and photographed in Dallas by Sergio Cattivelli.
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