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Francesco Risso is to exit Marni after almost 10 years as creative director. The news was shared with Vogue Business this morning by OTB, Marni’s parent company.

Risso, who was born on a sailing boat, was appointed captain of the house at a high-stakes moment back in 2016. Despite his initial inexperience as a creative lead, he navigated a fierce initial squall of negative criticism to successfully steer one of Italian fashion’s most quixotically creative labels into a new phase of cultural relevance and success.

Renzo Rosso, chair of OTB Group, who promoted Risso to the top job at Marni, said: “Francesco has embraced the spirit and the values of the house, and together with the team brought them to new grounds, building the foundations for a new and exciting chapter of Marni. Francesco is a unique designer and an artist at heart, and I wish him only the best for the future.”

Risso said: “I will always be grateful to Renzo for believing in me, for giving me the front seat on a journey that became more than I could have imagined. Marni has been a studio, a stage, a dream. It carried colour, instinct, care, and gave space for people to be themselves. It taught me how to build with feeling and how powerful true collaboration can be. Thank you to the whole Marni team, and to all the friends who joined along the way, and here’s to more extraordinary journeys ahead!”

Tracee Ellis Ross and Paloma Elsesser backstage at Marni’s AW25 show. Photo: Acielle/Style Du Monde Francesco Risso backstage at the Marni AW25 show alongside Tracee Ellis Ross. Photo: Acielle/Style Du Monde

Risso’s successor was not revealed by OTB. Whenever that appointment is made, it will complete a triple-pronged creative refresh within the group following Simone Bellotti’s introduction at Jil Sander, and Glenn Martens’s new role leading Maison Margiela alongside his existing creative directorship of OTB’s chief economic driver, Diesel.

One consequence of this refresh is that following the recent departure of Lucie Meier as co-creative director with her husband Luke at Jil Sander, the house no longer has any female creative leadership, which might influence thinking at the group as it prepares to fill the Marni position in its design portfolio. OTB will look to continue its impressive record in hiring dynamic, maverick creatives to lead its houses.

Read More Luke and Lucie Meier bow out at Jil Sander The Milan-based house announced the end of the couple’s tenure as co-creative directors in a statement.

Risso should unquestionably be counted amongst these. His appointment was an especially bold play at a sensitive moment, both for Marni and OTB. Under Rosso, its founder, OTB purchased 60 per cent of Marni in 2012 and then acquired total ownership in 2015. In doing so, it bought out the founder, Consuelo Castiglioni, and her husband Gianni. Swiss-born Castiglioni had founded Marni as an offshoot of the family fur business in 1994. The line was christened in honour of Castiglioni’s stepsister Marina’s nickname, and after a fur-dominated first few seasons, expanded to become a much broader and more eclectic venture.