What is today’s romance—is it the space between touches, or the meaning found between the rituals of the everyday? Is it tactility and softness, the continuation of human contact? The quest for the meaning of love finds itself known through the Marni Fall/Winter ‘21 Vol. 1 collection, a celebration of romanticism.

The rules of Marni-ism bend to the shape of humanity, hugging the body in an intensely tactile, soft collection. To be one with one’s clothes is a feat of contemporary romanticism, a constant, protective shell of soft armor against the hardening of the world. Sharp cuts merge with soft lines and faded archetypes in a deeply emotional lens through Marni’s new collection, ultimately constructing a careful, tender wardrobe collection.

Deconstruction juxtaposes with softness throughout the collection, marking an eternally subdued, tactual persona. Coats unbutton into blankets; buttonless tailored jackets are harnessed against the body with a mere string; kilts are wrapped over pants, shredded to a faint memory of what they once were, stronger now that they are reinforced together; layers of transparent, gauzy fabrics dematerialize easy pieces. 

Marni’s collection is about the coming together, the making of something soft and precious from the lovable pieces of the world. Dresses coil and dance around the body, a constant embrace celebrating the human form; dots, flowers and tartans are punctuated by fading checks airbrushed onto garments, giving something new the worn-out love of being old. 

Standout pieces of the collection include that which is romantic and tender, made and unmade with a tactile hand. A wide leather skirt that just brushes the shins, a curving dress in shades of rust that ruffles with the breeze, a simple, supple, elegant leather jacket, touched with fur at the collar for the hint of a kiss. 

Fabrics and accessories in the collection range from micro to macro, inviting investigation and inquiry-based on touch. Everything is textured, touchy, from wools to teddy to leather to georgette to mohair. Creepers and sneakers charged with subcultural meaning are brought into the discourse, giving a charged emotional undercurrent to the collection, liberating oneself on the path to an embrace of nature.

Shop the romanticism of Marni’s F/W 2021 Vol. 1 collection at Marni.com and in Marni boutiques starting May 2021.