UP NEXT AT MARNI? Could Ellen Hodakova Larsson be the successor of Francesco Risso at marni-3?
The name of the Swedish designer has emerged as a potential candidate for the top creative role at the Italian brand, controlled by the OTB Group.
The company was not reachable for comment at press time.
Larsson in September won the 2024 edition of the LVMH Prize for Young Designers for her upcycled creations.
The Stockholm-based designer beat more than 2,500 applicants from 80 countries to walk away with a grand prize of 400,000 euros, plus a year of coaching from experts at luxury giant LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, parent of brands including Vuitton, Guerlain, Dom Pérignon and Sephora.
Showing in Paris during fashion week, for fall 2025 she twisted the codes of workwear by turning the common trouser into all sorts of shapes, such as a gown, skirt and sheath dress complete with a belt at the neckline. Coats, too, were crafted from former pants, given a second life as military-esque jackets.
After speculation was mounting in Milan, on Wednesday, Marni said it was parting ways with Risso, who held the role of creative director since 2016.
The brand is now led by Stefano Rosso, who was named chief executive officer in May last year.
He is the son of Renzo Rosso, the founder and chairman of OTB, which also controls the Diesel, Jil Sander, Maison Margiela, and Viktor&Rolf brands, production arms Staff International and Brave Kid, and holds a stake in the Amiri brand.
Risso, a Prada Group alum who joined the Italian label succeeding founder Consuelo Castiglioni, led Marni with a bold and independent vision of fashion, his designs characterized by clashing prints, vibrant colors, deconstructed silhouettes, generous volumes and asymmetric cuts, and with a strong community around the world. Risso was also drawn to Surrealism and the world of “Alice in Wonderland” — even taking his bow at the women’s fall 2020 show disguised as the White Rabbit.
Several changes have been taking place within the OTB Group over the last year and in early 2025.
Following the exit of John Galliano, Glenn Martens was named creative director of Maison Margiela while continuing to design diesel.
In February, former Fendi chairman and CEO Serge Brunschwig was named CEO of Jil Sander, succeeding Luca Lo Curzio, who exited the brand last November to join K-Way as CEO. Brunschwig was also appointed chief strategy officer of OTB. Also, in March Simone Bellotti succeeded Luke and Lucie Meier as creative director of Jil Sander, joining from Bally.
Last year, while Diesel, Maison Margiela and the direct-to-consumer channel all reported growth, the slowdown in China and a 15 percent decrease in the group’s wholesale channel impacted OTB’s turnover, which decreased 5.2 percent to 1.8 billion euros, compared with 1.9 billion euros in 2023.
The group does not break out sales by brand.
