Website: www.marni.it

Consuela was born in Switzerland in 1954. When she was 25, she married Gianni Castiglioni, president of Giwi Furs, which was part of the Italian house of Fendi. She took some time out to have two children, but then became a fashion consultant for the Castiglioni operations.

The fur house was started in 1970 by Primo Castiglioni, father of Gianni. In 1995, it eased into the ready-to-wear market with a young wearable fur collection and then in the following season, showed a clothes collection designed by Consuela under the label Marni. It included a perfectly executed celebration of exquisite leathers.

Consuela Castiglioni is now one of the hottest designers around and Marni has become the favourite label for today's women. In 2000 Marni opened their first London showroom, and have entranced British ladies as well. It is now well-known for its eclectic romantic collections.

Marni clothes focus on natural fabrics like linen, cotton and silk, in breathtaking colours, flawless seams and with an exceptional attention to detail. It is a rare combination of quality, originality and wearability which makes every collection so very desirable.

Spring/Summer 2003

Consuela presented her Spring/Summer 2003 collection for Marni in Milan in September 2002. This is an outfit from that collection. Her favourite things were all there, print dresses, stripy pants, delicate lacy camisoles as well as casual layering of one romantic piece on top of another. But a tougher glossier Marni was also playing with sexy leather vests and zip-detailed pants.

Fall/Winter 2003

Consuelo showed her Fall collection during Milan Fashion week in March 2003. The outfit on the right is from the show.

She took a break from her trademark prairie-inspired fabrics and introduced a modern fresh collection relying mostly on patchwork. Her clothes had a much crisper look, using piping to define the garments. Cute pinafore dresses fell to the knee and floaty jersey tops had cheeky cutouts on the cleavage to add a sexy tone. Fur came in the shape of capes and shrugs and her pastel colours served to enhance the sweet femininity of the collection.

Spring/Summer 2004

Consuelo Castiglioni's ready-to-wear collection for Marni for this season, was shown during the Milan Fashion Week in October 2003. One dress from the collection is shown on the right.

She used curved cutting and piercing techniques to make a retro silhouette of puffy, rounded sleeves and dropped shoulder lines in jacekts and coats. She also showed sexy narrow bias-cut striped pants and subtly rethought T-shirts and knits. Her affection for vintage-style fabrics and love of colour and print showed up in a delightfully easy collection inspired by the fifties. She used mouth-watering colours and amusing scribbly prints.

Fall/Winter 2004 ready-to-wear

Consuela Castiglioni presented her Marni Fall collection in Milan during Fashion Week in February 2004. One of her outfits is shown here on the right.

The barefoot girl of previous seasons, has taken on a new chic elegant look. Her furs look like softer renditions of 50s and 60s shrugs, boleros and capes. She presented dresses with corseted obi waists and classic colours such as beige, grey, navy and bottle green. Her grey flannel trousers and fine-gauge sweaters looked attractive and there were confident renditions of three-quarter sleeve coats, chiffon dresses and romantic prints.

Spring/Summer 2005

During Milan Fashion Week in September 2004, Consuela Castiglioni presented her Marni Spring collection. A pretty green taffeta dress from the collection is shown on the left.

She took her themes from handcrafts and nostalgic artifacts found in markets and Rag stores. She wove these into her passion for 1950's prints, mattress stripes and glitter fabric. One garment was a burlap, bird-embroidered skirt. Consuelo took her first excursion into evening wear, with her taffeta dresses which were charm personified.

Autumn/Winter 2005

Consuela Castiglioni presented her Marni Autumn/Winter collection during Milan Fashion Week in February 2005. She made a change from her flowery printed light coloured style, and this season showed a more womanly collection with lots of black, brown, navy and shades of beige and grey. One of her silk splodge prints was a rare effect that broke the quiet wintry colours in her graceful show. Dresses were draped at the front and a full fur broadtail coat appeared. Unusual button decoration, and chain necklaces worked well with belt-tie coats. Occasional sparkles like stars in a night sky were in tune with Milan's current mood.

Spring/Summer 2006
Milan Fashion Week

Consuela presented her Marni Spring/Summer 2006 collection during Milan Fashion Week in September 2005. A bright multi-coloured frock under a black coat from the collection is shown on the left. It has been accessorized with a smart straw hat with matching black flowers.

Marni has been identified in the past with whimsical nature-inspired clothes, but this was a much more mature collection inspired by modern art and Africa. It was rich in colour and vibrant prints with a controlled volume in the silhouettes. Coats and jackets were cut with exquisite precision, either as a kimono or with square or loose necklines. Some belts had huge tribal beads. The cobalt blue opening outfit was inspired by Robert Rauschenberg and Yves Klein. Intricate workmanship was used on a hem turned by latticework into a work of art. This Marni collection had a soul of it's own and the move from rustic to chic was a major step forward.

2005