Librarian Chic Meets Eccentric Art Student: It's a New Era of Marni Under Meryll Rogge

There’s always a certain pressure surrounding a debut but especially at a house as admired as Marni. We’re all now sitting with the show notes from Meryll Rogge’s first collection, but what stood out most wasn’t the need to reinvent—it was the intention to remember what made the brand one that she once obsessed over as a teen along with everybody else. Her first paycheck as a fashion designer went toward a pair of Marni shoes and thus began an obsession that would later turn into her new role. This must be why the collection felt like a tribute, not in a nostalgic, greatest-hits way, but in something quieter that could only be seen by those who truly knew what Marni was in the first place.

It’s a sentiment that echoed across the collection itself, which traded spectacle for something more grounded—clothes that feel lived-in, personal, and slightly offbeat in the way only Marni can. Forget trends; this collection is a whole vibe, an aesthetic, an entire closet you want to step into. There’s an emphasis on “real life,” as Rogge herself put it, but with just enough disruption—through texture, proportion, or unexpected pairings—to remind you that getting dressed can still feel like a creative act. It’s less about transformation, more about recognition.

The Meryll Rogge Era

Meryll Rogge has playfully dubbed her era as the third creative director the brand has seen as "chapter three," and she isn’t approaching it like a reset—she’s approaching it like a continuation. Her history with the brand runs deep, from buying that first pair of Marni platforms at the start of her career to building her own personal brand that felt quite aligned with the Marni vision. That familiarity shows in the way she sidesteps the pressure to define what this new era of Marni will mean. Instead of labeling it, she has simply sharpened it.

What emerges is a version of Marni that feels more wearable but not diluted. There’s a clarity to her perspective—clothes designed to move between everyday life and something slightly more elevated, without drawing a hard line between the two. It’s feminine but not delicate. Expressive but never loud. And importantly, it reflects a broader shift: a return to an overall aesthetic rather than quickly burning trends.

The House Codes

At its core, this collection is about honoring the essence of the Marni brand. Rogge revisits the visual language established by the brand’s founder, Consuelo Castiglioni. It’s no mistake that the off-kilter proportions, the clash of prints, and the signature polka dots look eerily familiar. It reframes the early collections of the brand through a modern lens. Many of the items in the collection look like something that you would find if you had the chance to dig through the Marni archives but unworn and brand new.

Rogge set out to honor what Castiglioni once created, even bringing back familiar icons—the Fussbett sandal, the Trunk bag—which are “reengineered” according to the show notes, rather than simply reissued. It’s this balance of memory and modification that makes the collection feel forward-looking without losing its footing.

A '90s State of Mind

Watching the collection walk down the runway felt like stepping into 1994, the year the brand was conceptualized. Spotlighting one of the fashion crowd’s favorite things about ’90s fashion, it’s the kind of wardrobe that doesn’t try too hard: a slightly oversize coat, a tactile knit, something with sequins worn during the day just because.

That sensibility aligns with Marni’s original rise in the ’90s, when individuality won over polish. Rogge taps into that same spirit here, favoring instinct over perfection and personality over trend. It’s less about re-creating the decade and more about channeling its ease—the idea that getting dressed should feel intuitive, a little imperfect, and entirely your own.

The Key Buys

Now, what would a girl like Rogge at the beginning of her career be saving up to buy from this collection? There were a lot of standouts that we need to discuss. Mid-show, it felt like there was a gorpcore takeover that combined party-girl essentials like sequin dresses with athletic clothing. The crowd was enamored with the animal-inspired coats, be it cow print or classic leopard—this outerwear was filled with statements worth making. Sweater-vests have fallen to the wayside lately, but when the cozy staple is expertly styled in a librarian-chic way, the world is about to fall in love all over again. Pencil skirts also couldn’t be missed. They came in lace, leather, and in the traditional sense as well—styled in ways that were anything but boring. The accessories borrowed from the Marni archives but became reborn and will certainly become It buys this fall. Fans of the brand are calling out that the iconic drop earrings are so back.