2012
Marni at H&M: Offbeat Elegance
WHO: Consuelo Castiglioni, Swiss-born creative director of Marni (until 2016), an Italian brand she co-founded in Milan in 1994 and evolved from a focus on fur and leather into fashion and became, as Hamish Bowles put it in Vogue, “the label of choice for chic hippie nomads.”
WHAT: Apparel and accessories for men and women that celebrate spring with clean-lined yet unexpected silhouettes featuring abstract prints with a slight retro vibe (that were intended not to matchy-match but clash), charming straw hats, and jewel-like belts. The collection verifies the truth of Castiglioni’s 2001 statement that “In a world of conformity, my clothes offer a real choice.”
WHEN: The on-sale date was March 8, 2012.
WHERE: After the release of a Sophia Coppola-directed collection film in February, the Marni at H&M collection was launched on February 7, 2012 in Los Angeles at the John Snowden House (a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece) with a Moroccan-themed party and a performance by Bryan Ferry.
CONSUELO CASTIGLIONI: “I wanted to create a true Marni wardrobe by revisiting all our favorite pieces in signature fabrics and prints,” said the designer in a statement. “As always, I love juxtaposing prints and colors, mixing modern tribal with Bauhaus graphics, and adding sporty utilitarian elements.”
MARGARETA VAN DEN BOSCH: “Marni has such a modern touch with everything they do, mixing prints and accessories in a playful but chic way. It’s fantastic to see how Consuelo Castiglioni coordinates her designs, matching new combinations of print and color, with such incredible craftsmanship behind every piece.”
2012
Maison Martin Margiela with H&M: Déjà vu
WHO: The collective Maison Martin Margiela (MMM), renowned for its “tradition of radical reinterpretation,” as Lynn Yaeger put it, maintained the tradition of anonymity (he house label consists of four simple white stitches) set by the house’s namesake, Martin Margiela, who established his brand in Paris in 1988 and retired in 2009. Msr. Margiela famously preferred to communicate by fax, and the announcement of this collaboration took a similar format, with information being provided in a table format showing different points of commonality between MMM and H&M, respectively, such as: Fashion: Conceptual and timeless style/ Democratic fashion; Values & Ideas: Anonymity, whites, ambiguity; and Philosophy: The work of the group rather than of one designer; Fashion for all.
