The Marni Market Has Popped Up at Holts

The cult Italian brand is only in town for a few weeks.

The cult Italian brand is only in town for a few weeks.

In 2016 when Italian designer and founder of Marni fashion, Consuelo Castiglioni, left the brand she founded in 1994 (and named after her sister), women in colour-blocked frocks everywhere heaved a collective gasp. Would their fave luxury label—that hewed towards less overtly sexy clothes in favour of modern, playful collections that women would actually want to wear—be able to continue its upscale bohemian path? Would its bold interplay of texture, shape and pattern continue to infuse the catwalk? If the new Marni pop-up shop at Holt Renfrew is any indication, the answer is a bold, asymmetrical yes. The first time in North America and second stop in Canada after Toronto, the Marni Market Pop-up features a colourful oasis of covetable accessories all in prints and vibrant hues.Now helmed by designer Francesco Risso, formerly of Prada, it’s clear the label has continued its masterful pursuit of strong lines, colour and edgy juxtaposition all with an eye towards the modern and free-spirited among us. Find a series of limited-edition products like playful picnic baskets handmade by Colombian artisans, animal sculptures made from metal and colourful PVC and reimagined versions of the famous Marni shopping bag in striped fabric.The Marni Market Pop-up runs until August 19 on the 3rd floor.