Marni (brand)

Marni Group S.r.l., commonly known as Marni, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1994 by Consuelo Castiglioni in Milan, Italy. Marni was acquired by Italian fashion group OTB in 2015. Francesco Risso was appointed creative director of the brand in 2016.

History
Marni was founded in Milan, Italy in 1994 by Swiss designer Consuelo Castiglioni, originally as an offshoot of the family’s fur business. Starting in 2000, the company began to open stores in high-end department stores. In 2011, Marni signed a licensing agreement with Spazio Sei Fashion Group for the production and worldwide distribution of the Marni Children line for girls, designed by Consuelo Castiglioni.

In 2012, the Castiglioni family confirmed that it was looking for a financial partner in order to expand Marni’s retail business. The family sold 60 percent of the company to Renzo Rosso's OTB Group that same year. That same year, Marni launched a one-off collection for H&M with a promotional film by Sofia Coppola starring model Liu Wen and actress Imogen Poots in Marrakesh; The Marni Denim line was launched;

In 2015, Marni was fully acquired by OTB Group. Shortly after, the manufacturing arm of OTB, Staff International, took over production and worldwide distribution of Marni’s men’s collections, including ready-to-wear, accessories, footwear and small leather goods.

In 2016, Consuelo Castiglioni and other members of her family left the company. Instead, Marni appointed Francesco Risso as creative director.

Cosmetics
In 2012, Marni launched its first women’s fragrance. In 2024, the brand entered a licensing agreement with beauty conglomerate Coty for cosmetics and fragrances. The first products under this deal will launch in 2026 and the contract extends through 2040.

Children’s line
Marni has been having licensing agreements with Spazio 6 (2011–2015) and Brave Kid (since 2015) for the production and worldwide distribution of its children’s line dedicated to girls aged between two and 12.

Eyewear
Marni signed a licensing agreement with Marchon Eyewear in 2015 for the production and distribution of its eyewear line, designed by Consuelo Castiglioni. In 2021, the brand signed with Retrosuperfuture for their eyewear licensing.

Other activities
During Milan Design Week in 2023, Marni launched a collections of tableware with Belgian design label Serax and a wallpaper series with Italian wall covering-maker LondonArt.

Management

 * 2018–2019: Stefano Biondo
 * 2019–2024: Barbara Calò
 * 2024–present: Stefano Rosso

Controversy
In 2020, Marni issued a public apology after being called out by Diet Prada for its “Jungle Mood” campaign, which featured images of a Black man with chains around his ankles.