It’s Meryll at Marni.
Belgian designer Meryll Rogge is the new creative director of Marni, parent company OTB announced today. The news, which comes on the heels of Francesco Risso’s departure following 10 years at the Milan-based brand, solidifies Rogge as one of fashion’s brightest emerging talents. Just two weeks ago, Rogge won the prestigious ANDAM Prize (and its award of 300,000 euros) for her eponymous brand, which she founded in 2020. Her most recent collection brought a feminine touch to oversized Raf Simons-esque plaid coats and other colorful but wearable wardrobe pieces.
In a statement, OTB chairman Renzo Rosso hailed the Ghent native’s experience and deep sense of creativity. “Meryll impressed us with the sensitivity she brought to reinterpreting the brand’s DNA, offering a contemporary vision that embraces Marni globally and across all its dimensions—including accessories, interior design, communication, and special projects,” Rosso said.
After graduating from the Royal Academy of Antwerp, Rogge cut her teeth at Marc Jacobs, where she spent seven years on the design team. She then moved back to Antwerp to become head of women’s design at Dries Van Noten. After leaving to start her namesake line, Rogge continued to consult for Dries and helped launch the brand’s beauty arm. When Van Noten retired last year, Rogge’s name quickly floated to the top of the succession discussion. The job ultimately went to Julian Klausner, but the sense that Rogge was ready for a top job remained.
Added Marni CEO Stefano Rosso, “It is a great pleasure to welcome Meryll in Marni. She is an exceptional creative talent and an inspiring woman, whose vision and expertise will play a key role in shaping the future of this amazing brand.”
In hiring Rogge, who inherited her command of power-clashing color and pattern from Jacobs and Van Noten (two of the greats in that department), OTB is maintaining some consistency with Risso’s Marni, which had a free-spirited identity that exploded across bold hues and wild textures. The pick also speaks to Marni’s roots as a woman-led brand—it was founded by Consuelo Castiglioni in 1994—and establishes Rogge as one of only a few female creative directors in luxury fashion today.
Said Rogge: “I’m truly honored to join Marni—a house I’ve long admired for its independent spirit. To take on a role defined by such visionary creative directors is both humbling and inspiring. I’m deeply grateful to Renzo and Stefano for recognizing the resonance between our worlds and for entrusting me with this extraordinary opportunity. I look forward to helping shape what comes next for Marni.”
The news comes during a busy week for OTB, which has a stable full of new creative directors. Also today, Simone Bellotti teased his forthcoming Jil Sander overhaul with a vibey short film set in Hamburg. And the industry is still coming down from Glenn Martens’s rapturously received couture debut at Maison Margiela.
