Marni Fashion Exhibit — Sydney Minton Designs

Marni Fashion Exhibit

Unexpected Magnetism

Course: Studio V | Summer 2026

Media: Revit, Adobe Photoshop, 3Ds Max, Google Gemini

Location: Cortona, Italy

Project Site: Palazzo Casali (Museum Courtyard)

My concept arises from the creativity and artistry that can emerge from the “unexpected.” This idea reflects the evolution of Marni, beginning with Consuelo Castiglioni, who transformed scraps from her in-laws’ conservative fur business into an unconventional luxury fashion house. Marni challenged traditional ideas of perfection, instead embracing emotion, comfort, imperfection, and individuality.

When Francesco Risso became creative director, he further reimagined the brand through chaos, empathy, experimentation, and self-expression. His unexpected approach initially challenged loyal Marni consumers but ultimately created a more magnetic and emotionally expressive identity.

This history parallels the existing site, which provides a humble canvas for creative reconstruction. Just as Castiglioni and Risso transformed what already existed into something unexpected, I will reinterpreted the space through surprise, boldness, and experimentation. The showroom becomes an extension of Marni’s identity, using unexpected materials, contrasts, and spatial moments to tell the story of the brand’s evolution and celebrate the creativity found within the unexpected.

Marni Fashion Exhibit

Early Research

Marni's design philosophy prioritizes experimentation and longevity over seasonal trends. According to Castiglioni, each collection emerges from continuous research into textures, materials, and colors, with the goal of creating pieces that can be mixed across collections and remain relevant over time (Mojeh, 2025).

Key Ideas

Individuality
Creativity
Experimentation
Craftsmanship
Artistic expression

Target Audience

Unique, comfortable style
Prefer individuality over market design
Luxury for the everyday (Looked at < Lived in)
Women in creative careers (architects, gallerists)

About

Marni’s History

Timeline

Marni Fashion Exhibit

Process + Ideation

Inspired by Marni’s experimental approach to fashion, I sought to step into the brand’s creative process by exploring color, materiality, and the relationship between fashion and interior surfaces. Through watercolor renderings, I experimented with color combinations and the placement of selected Marni pieces to establish a cohesive yet unexpected visual experience.

Watercolor

Collages + Visual Identity

To organize my thoughts and translate my research into visual ideas, I created collages using fashion magazines and watercolor paintings that reflected Marni’s unique brand identity. This experimental process helped shape my vision for the space, allowing me to explore color palettes, layered materials, and the relationship between fashion and interior design.

Steelcase- Next Law firm

Visual Identity ⟶ Material Palette

Layered Materiality

Rooted in Marni’s origins in fur design, the brand has evolved through experimentation with texture, materiality, and unconventional combinations. Reflecting this evolution, the exhibition layers archival fabrics with contemporary designs, exploring the relationship between contrasting patterns, textures, and finishes. This approach celebrates Marni’s playful identity while creating a cohesive dialogue between its past and present.

Immersive Storytelling

Inspired by Marni’s experimental spirit and Milan store concept, the exhibition transforms fashion into an immersive spatial experience. A bold blue runway establishes a visual connection to the brand’s contemporary identity, while mirrored surfaces and Marni’s signature red introduce simple yet impactful elements across the walls and ceilings. Together, these design choices create moments of reflection, contrast, and visual magnetism.

Key Ideas

Marni Fashion Exhibit

Furniture Concept

In addition to our studio course, a concept development class challenged us to design a custom furniture piece that embodied our brand’s identity. Inspired by Marni’s spirit of unexpected creativity, I designed a lounge sofa featuring custom upholstery created in Photoshop. By extracting and layering motifs from various archival and contemporary Marni fabrics into a single textile, I explored the brand’s use of unconventional combinations. This process reflected the exhibition’s central concept of celebrating Marni’s history through experimentation, transforming contrasting patterns into a cohesive and captivating statement piece that embodies the brand’s playful identity.

Software: 3Ds Max, Photoshop