There is an instantly recognizable quaint quality which makes Marni’s Consuelo Castiglioni’s clothes appear as though they were tailored in a home-economics class. Consuelo’s deliberately slapdash and slightly lop-sided looks have over the years earned the designer a cult following. Thus this season, staying true to her curvilinear roots, Marni once again produced an eccentric collection highlighted by bright prints and amorphous silhouettes.

Marni’s loose-fitted knee length duster coats (clinched at the waist with a belt), round egg shaped skirts, boat neck cap-sleeve dresses, and ray-pleated A-line tops in mustard, jade, azure, brown and black blends and mismatches are light-hearted, exuberant, and distinctive. Castiglioni has done such a good job of marketing her eccentric sensibility that her work, which may have seemed marginal at one point, now has tremendous mass appeal.

Consuelo’s main strength lies in the quiet dignity with which she manipulates zingy tints in the context of rounded volumes, but her latest show indicates that the Italian talent has a great eye for accessories. The chunky Marni bags, belts and necklaces seen on the runway this season are bound to earn the label new enthusiasts.

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