Marni Launches Spring Collection with Uniqlo

[lucy92]

The first collection of the ongoing collaboration arrives May 26th in the US. Other countries have staggered release dates per Vogue.
Images from Vogue via popbee

 

[THD96]

This is the first time I see Francesco design normal clothes.

The irony is that this is more in tune with the spirit of Marni than what is he currently doing at the brand.

 

[Machinegumm]

It does look more like the old Marni, but at the same time I'm getting strong "Marni 4 Kidz" vibes.

 

[bc collector]

Risso is completely unable to get Marni right, even under a Uniqlo collab - let's not forget that Marni already launched an H&M collab in 2012, I still have a couple of things from it. If this looks more like Marni (as an ever more dispirited ex Marni customer, let me disagree), less all over the place, it's because of Uniqlo, not Risso.

 

[Frederic01]

Some more information about the collaboration from Vogue:

Marni Kicks Off a Uniqlo Collaboration With Wonder and Purpose
BY STEFF YOTKA
April 22, 2022


Photo: Jamie Hawkesworth / Courtesy of Uniqlo

Pen-and-ink drawings, pieces of tape, tiny doodles, massive watercolors, and film photography populate the pages of Marni creative director Francesco Risso’s issue of A Magazine Curated by. Even though the magazine is printed by the thousands, each one has the tactile quality of being bound together just moments before delivery—it’s both human and urgent. Marni’s fall 2022 show, held in the hinterlands of Milan, was so hand-spun it felt as though one wrong step and a frayed top would completely unspool over a grassy runway. Over in his studio in Milan, Risso works to inject every aspect of his Marni with the tenderness and soulfulness—translating that potency to a mass-produced item seems complicated at best.

So how could Marni ever translate its perspective into a collection with Uniqlo, a global business with hundreds of stores and millions of products?

Risso advises to think of it as a matter of vision. “Once we started working together,” he starts over a video chat from Milan where he sits in front of a hackneyed bookshelf spilling over, “We really realized how such different practices were actually giving both of us very interesting new perspectives.”

A longtime Uniqlo customer himself, Risso found the brand’s minimal approach and eclectic take on essentials a clever counterpoint to his art-focused approach at Marni. “I was blown away, myself, to realize how much precision and how much almost mathematical recipes are behind the most simple piece,” he says. “It was interesting in the way we could apply our sense of naivete or the hand—our immediate feeling.” One strategy was to hand the Marni team handpaint each pattern; those appear on long dresses, rain-proof anoraks, and stripey trousers.

The Marni mentality comes through in the silhouettes, too—nothing too complicated or constricting. “All the objects somehow had a very strong need to be quite soft and not against the body,” says Risso. “That was an immediate gesture in order to make a quite easy language—and quite life-embracing.” For himself, Risso has selected a pair of printed pajamas, festive enough for a party, cozy enough for a plane ride across the Atlantic. Within the Vogue office, favorites include long pleated-skirt dresses, check suiting, and simple button-up camp shirts for guys and girls.

The universality is important to both Marni and Uniqlo. “It was fun in the design process to see that every piece was interchangeable from gender to gender,” continues Risso. “The designs are quite neutral, welcome to all the creatures of the planets.”

For now, the collaboration is mostly restricted to citizens of this planet, arriving in the United States on May 26 in Uniqlo stores and online. (Other countries have staggered release dates.) The partnership between the brands is ongoing, too, meaning more Marni mania will arrive in the months and years to come. “It’s a beautiful way to intertwine,” says Risso, avoiding the common this x that parlance of most fashion collabs or marketing partnerships. “It’s not putting this logo above that logo,” he pushes, smiling. “Instead, it was very, very fascinating how swapping our talents created this very pragmatic, consistent, and considered wardrobe for every day on one hand, and on the other hand, an extremely happy, joyful collection that is spiritually very much about what we stand for at Marni.”

VOGUE

 

[Cocteau Stone]

This feels very Milan Spring 2011 or 2012 Tommy Ton street style get ups on Style.com...

 

[YohjiAddict]

It literally looks like off-brand Prada from a decade ago…the oversized plaid is very S/S 08 and the flowers are similar to those of S/S 13. It ends up feeling more Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, of course

 

[tricotineacetat]

What's interesting about Uniqlo U and +J had always been how those collaborations managed to push the possibilities of Uniqlo to it's furthest limits, therewith also elaborating their core collection with better patterns and finishes - With Marni, it's unfortunately exactly as I had expected it - The collection looks hardly better than their Marimekko or JW Anderson range, the best pieces are the the pleated skirt and blouse in the red/pink checked pattern, the rest is relatively forgettable merch I feel I have seen seasons in and out from Uniqlo.

I'm looking forward to seeing what the future holds for Uniqlo U in the fall, hopefully that will bring back a bit more formality now that the Jil Sander collab has come to an end.

 

[Benn98]

It looks so....tame. Like something done by a micro upcycling label that runs a small store around the corner from where you live and that will probably never be famous but does marginally good clothes.

Also, Uniqlo has worked so much with Jonathan that everything looks like it's plucked from his capsule.

Overall not a win for Francesco as a designer. But I think Marni will certainly benefit. God knows that H&M collab was a blip on the radar from the brand (although I actually liked that collection!)

 

[bc collector]

God knows that H&M collab was a blip on the radar from the brand (although I actually liked that collection!)

I think there is a limit to how far these collaborations can go and Marni is an example: their fashion was way too subtle for the average H&M customer to register...Marni, in the end, was meant to remain a niche brand and their willingness to sell themselves to OTB to expand further turned out eventually to be their woe.
I think the whole designer-mass market experiment is kind of slowly petering out, unless there is a solid communion of sensibilities and objectives, as was the case of +J.

Who did even realise that H&M did a thing with Toga last season?

 

[softgrey]

did h&m do something with toga?
had no idea...


this makes me sad...
i got a jacket from the marni + hm collab back in the day...
still one of the best things in my closet that sees regular use...
compliments from strangers every time...

marni basically doesn't exist anymore...
this is something else and that's just a shame...
it was good while it lasted...

thanks for posting @lucy92

 

[perhydrol]

I've just investigated the collection on the Uniqlo website because I thought it could be a hint of the good, old Marni we all miss. And somehow there is a mere shadow of that Marni when it comes to the prints. In terms of silhouettes, however, the collection feels too undone for my taste. But at least they designed something actually wearable, and it's already an achievement for Risso. Let's see if he'll get some hype around the brand with this collab and his edition of A Magazine Curated by.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

I can come out and say it since I am no longer there, but I worked at UNIQLO and on many of the collaborations (Lemaire, UNIQLO U, JW Anderson, Tomas Maier, Alex Wang, Marimekko, +J, etc).

I did not work on this one and was quite surprised to see it announced.

UNIQLO goes about collaborations entirely differently from any other mass apparel brand. sh*t, they work and operate entirely different from any apparel or fashion brand on the planet. "Unique Clothing" is not a misnomer.

First, those H&M collabs? They don't make any money. In fact, they lose money (I worked on Margiela). Most of the designers get a big design fee and once you add the huge advertising production costs, media buy and the actual production cost of the line the whole thing ends up in the red. Their strategic role is to bring huge amounts of customers to the store who then buy everything else. It's a traffic driver.

This is NOT how UNIQLO works. AT ALL.

At UNIQLO, collaborations aren't cooked up or dreamed up to create hysteria. They have to SELL and make PROFIT. Until now, they've always fallen into one of two categories:

1. Partnering with a designer who shares the brand's values of simplicity, quality, and timelessness. By working with them, they can gain valuable insights and knowledge to improve their main collection, (Lemaire, +J, Tomas Maier).

2. UNIQLO feels there is a gap or lack of competency in certain categories among their assortment so they bring in designers who they feel can help teach them and fill that gap. They felt they didn't have a good understanding of British classics so they decided to partner with who they thought was the most innovative and talented British designer: Jonathan Anderson. They needed help with their underwear range so they teamed up with Alexander Wang. Streetwear/Workwear? Engineered Garments. You get the idea.

Advertising budgets for their collaborations are extremely small compared to other brands and they prefer designers to come back for multiple seasons. If something is successful, Mr. Yanai will want it back without a doubt. At this point, the Ines De La Fressange collection (which is actually designed by Naoki Takizawa who is sort of like an in-house consultant at UNIQLO) has become a UNIQLO private label. Mr. Yanai was so impressed by Christophe Lemaire that he built a UNIQLO design studio in Paris, hired a design team and created a new label, Uniqlo U, just to keep Lemaire involved and designing on their behalf. As far as I know, UNIQLO has no creative director at the moment but Lemaire exerts the most creative influence over the main collection than any other designer to date. His contract expires next year although UNIQLO has purchased a minority stake in Lemaire which has been fueling its recent expansion. It's unlikely they will be parting ways.

This Marni thing doesn't really fit into either of those two categories. In fact, it's kind of the thing they usually avoid. Mr. Yanai and the head of product, Yuki Katsuta (who pretty much chooses all of the designers for collaborations), abhor fast fashion and trends. They HATE the idea of a designer giving them watered down versions of their high end collection. Instead, they prefer the designer apply their own sensibilities and start from scratch to create an original UNIQLO collection.

This is sort of that, but it feels like it is coming from someone else very high up in the company whose name I will not mention. My best guess is that it came about because they wanted to push UNIQLO in Italy and Europe and thought a collaboration with an Italian brand would do the trick. If true, Marni makes a lot of sense as I can't really think of any other Italian labels that would.

Frankly, this collection is FUGLY. I predict it is going to be a HUGE disaster. Probably their biggest failure to date. It appears their contract locked in multiple seasons so we will see a fall/winter collection for sure (which has probably already been designed and is being finalized RIGHT NOW). But I imagine once the abysmal sales numbers come in, the line will be edited, corrected, etc. UNIQLO will probably not renew the contract.

The good thing about UNIQLO is that they're not risk averse or afraid of failure. If this is a flop, they'll cut it off as quickly as they can, study it, learn from it and move on.

But who knows, it could be a smashing success.

 

[disco54]

After the Sh!t show from last season, Francesco wants to spread the horror among the peasants as well.

 

[Norden]

@Mutterlein! Super interesting to hear some behind the scenes. Thanks!

 

[perhydrol]

This is sort of that, but it feels like it is coming from someone else very high up in the company whose name I will not mention. My best guess is that it came about because they wanted to push UNIQLO in Italy and Europe and thought a collaboration with an Italian brand would do the trick. If true, Marni makes a lot of sense as I can't really think of any other Italian labels that would.

Does anyone know if the collaboration with Marimekko will be continued? Because if not, the one with Marni would make much more sense as it's also focused on printed fabrics and it may be Uniqlo's way of developing that division even further.

 

[Uemarasan]

I can come out and say it since I am no longer there, but I worked at UNIQLO and on many of the collaborations (Lemaire, UNIQLO U, JW Anderson, Tomas Maier, Alex Wang, Marimekko, +J, etc).

I did not work on this one and was quite surprised to see it announced.

UNIQLO goes about collaborations entirely differently from any other mass apparel brand. sh*t, they work and operate entirely different from any apparel or fashion brand on the planet. "Unique Clothing" is not a misnomer.

First, those H&M collabs? They don't make any money. In fact, they lose money (I worked on Margiela). Most of the designers get a big design fee and once you add the huge advertising production costs, media buy and the actual production cost of the line the whole thing ends up in the red. Their strategic role is to bring huge amounts of customers to the store who then buy everything else. It's a traffic driver.

This is NOT how UNIQLO works. AT ALL.

At UNIQLO, collaborations aren't cooked up or dreamed up to create hysteria. They have to SELL and make PROFIT. Until now, they've always fallen into one of two categories:

1. Partnering with a designer who shares the brand's values of simplicity, quality, and timelessness. By working with them, they can gain valuable insights and knowledge to improve their main collection, (Lemaire, +J, Tomas Maier).

2. UNIQLO feels there is a gap or lack of competency in certain categories among their assortment so they bring in designers who they feel can help teach them and fill that gap. They felt they didn't have a good understanding of British classics so they decided to partner with who they thought was the most innovative and talented British designer: Jonathan Anderson. They needed help with their underwear range so they teamed up with Alexander Wang. Streetwear/Workwear? Engineered Garments. You get the idea.

Advertising budgets for their collaborations are extremely small compared to other brands and they prefer designers to come back for multiple seasons. If something is successful, Mr. Yanai will want it back without a doubt. At this point, the Ines De La Fressange collection (which is actually designed by Naoki Takizawa who is sort of like an in-house consultant at UNIQLO) has become a UNIQLO private label. Mr. Yanai was so impressed by Christophe Lemaire that he built a UNIQLO design studio in Paris, hired a design team and created a new label, Uniqlo U, just to keep Lemaire involved and designing on their behalf. As far as I know, UNIQLO has no creative director at the moment but Lemaire exerts the most creative influence over the main collection than any other designer to date. His contract expires next year although UNIQLO has purchased a minority stake in Lemaire which has been fueling its recent expansion. It's unlikely they will be parting ways.

This Marni thing doesn't really fit into either of those two categories. In fact, it's kind of the thing they usually avoid. Mr. Yanai and the head of product, Yuki Katsuta (who pretty much chooses all of the designers for collaborations), abhor fast fashion and trends. They HATE the idea of a designer giving them watered down versions of their high end collection. Instead, they prefer the designer apply their own sensibilities and start from scratch to create an original UNIQLO collection.

This is sort of that, but it feels like it is coming from someone else very high up in the company whose name I will not mention. My best guess is that it came about because they wanted to push UNIQLO in Italy and Europe and thought a collaboration with an Italian brand would do the trick. If true, Marni makes a lot of sense as I can't really think of any other Italian labels that would.

Frankly, this collection is FUGLY. I predict it is going to be a HUGE disaster. Probably their biggest failure to date. It appears their contract locked in multiple seasons so we will see a fall/winter collection for sure (which has probably already been designed and is being finalized RIGHT NOW). But I imagine once the abysmal sales numbers come in, the line will be edited, corrected, etc. UNIQLO will probably not renew the contract.

The good thing about UNIQLO is that they're not risk averse or afraid of failure. If this is a flop, they'll cut it off as quickly as they can, study it, learn from it and move on.

But who knows, it could be a smashing success.

This is wonderful reportage. Thank you!

 

[Deleted member 7575]

Does anyone know if the collaboration with Marimekko will be continued? Because if not, the one with Marni would make much more sense as it's also focused on printed fabrics and it may be Uniqlo's way of developing that division even further.

Can't say myself but it looks like the Marimekko collabs have ended. It could have ended for many reasons but I bet you it's because UNIQLO's former head of design, Rebekka Bay (COS, GAP, Everlane), left UNIQLO to be creative director of Marimekko. As profitable as the arrangement probably was, Marimekko does not need UNIQLO at all and I can imagine Mr. Yanai wanting to severe ties after Rebekka defected.

But you're right, this Marni thing definitely fills that gap for bold, punchy prints although I think the Marimekko brand has much greater awareness and appeal among the global UNIQLO market than Marni does. I don't think one can fill the shoes of the other.

JW Anderson didn't have much awareness among UNIQLO's global market either but it sells very well because the clothes were cute, versatile, and understandable for the pre-existing UNIQLO customer.

I don't think this Marni collection quite meets that criteria.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

So, I might have been wrong and it looks like this is selling fairly well. It's been a hit in Japan which makes it a success in the eyes of UNIQLO. If it does well in China then it's golden.

Certain items here in the US have already sold out completely and it's only been available for a couple of hours.

 

[Lola701]

So, I might have been wrong and it looks like this is selling fairly well. It's been a hit in Japan which makes it a success in the eyes of UNIQLO. If it does well in China then it's golden.

Certain items here in the US have already sold out completely and it's only been available for a couple of hours.

Marni has peep the interest of rappers lately. They are the real influencers as they speak to a whole new generation. There are some good prints and I’m not surprised it’s a success. Giving that knitwear is really what is doing well at Marni lately, they better have a FW collection! It will be a huge hit.