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History of MARNI - Italian menswear is probably best described as a tale of extremes. On the one hand there's classic Italian tailoring—with its  double-breasted suits, spread collars, double-monk dress shoes and knit ties. On the other, there's maximalist contemporary menswear—the silk  Versace shirts, all-over Fendi logo prints, garish Dolce & Gabbana garments and the fantastical Alessandro Michele-designed Gucci. It is more e extravagant than elegant. And, then there's the contemporary Italian brands' proclivity for controversy.Furthering the tale of extremes is the fact  that Italian menswear tends to have its moments—consider Gucci's sexy success during the Tom Ford years, followed by a relatively barren period  before becoming a star brand again under Alessandro Michele. Italian menswear is, in turn, the driving force of the industry—and the laggard. And then there's Marni - Marni is an Italian house in name only, really. The brand's aesthetic is neither similar to its maximalist contemporaries,  nor a throwback to classic Italian tailoring. The brand wasn't even founded by an Italian, with Consuelo Castiglioni hailing from Switzerland—though  she did have ties to Milanese fashion through marriage. Marni is, quite simply, an oddity of Italian fashion, existing largely independent of what  everybody else is doing in Milan. But it's also a brand that garners both respect and curiosity—often in equal measure. It's a brand that has enjoyed steady growth over the years,  but is still relatively small. It has a cult-like following, but lacks the name-brand recognition of its Italian peers.So how has Marni done it over  the last 26-plus years? How has the brand cultivated such a distinct aesthetic—one often described as “intellectual”, with the unspoken suggestion  that that label positions it as diametrically opposed to what we've come to expect from the brand's peers. Perhaps the most important element of  Marni's steady rise has been just that—a steady approach. Since its launch in 1994, Marni has exhibited a quality that may seem antiquated within fashion: Patience. While the brand has always pursued growth, it has done so in a way that is controlled and calculated. Footwear was added in 1998. The brand's first  store opened in 2000—in London, rather than in Milan. And it was only as part of the Spring 2002 offering that Castiglioni debuted a menswear  collection.But all of those endeavors have since paid dividends in the long run. The brand now counts some 300 retail doors, with the focus placed  on expanding in key markets—particularly in Asia—rather than on cannibalizing sales in the same cities over and over. The menswear business has  been a focus of Marni's in the 2010s and the brand's new holding company, Only The Brave (which also controls Diesel and Maison Margiela), is placing  renewed emphasis on growing the men's business in the coming years. Perhaps the best example of Marni's approach to growth—deliberately seeking it  out, but with an eye towards the long game—has been the company's online strategy. Marni was one of the first luxury brands to enter the e-commerce  space, in the mid-2000s. It quickly established itself as a leader in the field, reaping early rewards while other brands were eschewing the dot-com  retail boom. But it also allowed Marni to interact with a particularly savvy segment of the luxury market, those who were already shopping online—and  one that represents the essence of the Marni customer.Marni has consistently sought to pursue new opportunities not because they're trendy, but because  they make good business sense. The brand hasn't rushed into much—if anything—over the last 26-plus years and both Castiglioni and current creative  i.e irector Francesco Risso have shown a knack for designs that are unique and timely, but ultimately timeless. Commitment to the Marni brand, rather  than to immediate profits—and, thus, to the Marni aesthetic rather than to trends—is a major part of what has made the brand. Historically, it's worth noting that Marni's founder, Consuelo Castiglioni, had a connection to the Italian for business through her husband Gianni Castiglioni.  While Marni (as a brand) broke away from that original business roughly five years after it was founded, it's important to note; Marni may not be focused  on fur today, but it's an early marker of the brand's history with tactile fabrics.It stands to reason that Marni put great effort into opening an important one  string of retail outposts to showcase its inventive use of textiles—after all, there's nothing quite like touching a heavy wool coat, or a delicately light cotton  shirt. But what truly sets Marni's varied use of fabrics apart is that the brand uses them to create depth, patterns, form and contrast in a decidedly non-tactile  way. Historically, it's worth noting that Marni's founder, Consuelo Castiglioni, had a connection to the Italian for business through her husband Gianni Castiglioni.  While Marni (as a brand) broke away from that original business roughly five years after it was founded, it's important to note; Marni may not be focused on fur  today, but it's an early marker of the brand's history with tactile fabrics. It stands to reason that Marni put great effort into opening an important string of retail outposts to showcase its inventive use of textiles—after all, there's n othing quite like touching a heavy wool coat, or a delicately light cotton shirt. But what truly sets Marni's varied use of fabrics apart is that the brand uses them  to create depth, patterns, form and contrast in a decidedly non-tactile way.Instead, unique fabrics—and a unique mix of them—are used to create a specific look.  Absurdly light cottons used in shirting make the pieces look billowy and almost weightless, while heavy wools used for winter coats add some texture and gravitas  to the draping silhouettes. Marni's choice of fabrics adds value to each garment, contributing to the fit, feel and look of pieces. Each decision is a one.  But equally important to the Marni aesthetic is how the design team mixes and matches textiles of different weights—canvas and pique knit can co-exist in the Marni  universe. This is especially true in womenswear, where the brand has excelled at creating what amounts to mesmerizing juxtaposition. In menswear, Marni has struggled to  recreate the same magic and to get the most of out men's comparatively timid layering. That being said, the inaugural Spring 2002 featured more than just simple  cotton and the brand has come into its own in recent seasons as far as extending its mastery of fabrics to menswear. While much Italian menswear has traditionally played with sleeker designs, strong shoulders or plunging necklines, Marni has instead opted for what's best described  as the antithesis of sexy. Under both Castiglioni and Risso, Marni has been home to reserved silhouettes. The footwear has long been a bit clunkier, the shirts a little  longer and the pants a little wider and flared.Some may have assumed that Marni was but another label to hop onto the relaxed tailoring bandwagon with Spring 2019  and Fall 2019 shows that were widely acclaimed—and filled with the types of silhouettes that were making waves at Louis Vuitton and elsewhere. But Marni has been  doing it for years. With aplomb, to boot. Most interesting is that the Marni silhouette is not entirely different across menswear and womenswear. Both make liberal  use of the fabrics at hand, offering longer or wider cuts than other brands. While unspoken, the message seems to be that clothes are not necessarily meant to highlight  the body, but rather the individual wearing them. One could even argue that the reason Marni is touted as an “intellectual” or “thinking person's” brand is because the  clothes won't look better or worse depending on one's build—but instead depending on one's ability to master layering, color palettes and... well, conversation. Marni's slouchy silhouettes have put the onus on the wearer to stand out and on the design team to make waves by doing more than just baring skin.