by Luca Imbimbo

Marni presented its Fall/Winter 2015 collection in Florence during Pitti Uomo 87. Neat shapes charge up in the choice of tactile materials, in the bold play of colors and textures, suggesting an idea of easy elegance.

Fur, knit and sturdy tailoring toy with sophisticated quirks of personality. Zip-up tunic tops layered on printed shirts and skinny sky trousers suggest dynamism. Collarless coats have the ease of a cardigan and the intimacy of a robe, while double-breasted styles have a welcoming roominess.

Formality is approached from a slightly off-kilter angle: mismatched checks, broken suits, plain dress shirts paired with knitted ties. Jackets are compact, with a high buttoning, while trousers flare at the hem, or fall straight. The inside of the garments and their details are as studied and surprising as the outside: colorful pocket linings, contrast taping, hidden buttoning.

Fur is a strong feature in many ways throughout the collection. Alpaca on outerwear, long sheepskin gilets closed by snaps worn on top of suits, bonded goat cardigan coats, astrakhan and bleached alpaca scarves.

Knits are boxy and tactile, with a home-spun quality.

The color palette is earthy and deep: tones of brown, blue, grey, black are accented with flashes of red, yellow, flesh. Prints are painterly blossoms. Fabrics are precious and firm, with a stress on textures: twisted flannel, herringbone tweed, linen-wool, double faced angora cashmere, wool gabardine, bonded suede.

The progressive tone of the collection carries on in the accessories. Sturdy zip-up boots and derbies have contrast “mended” heels, sliced rubber toe caps give sneakers an old-school feel. Goat fur backpacks and wool apron bags match the looks.