One month after Francesco Risso announced he was stepping down as Marni’s creative director following a decade-long tenure, the Italian fashion house has announced his successor: Belgian designer Meryll Rogge. She becomes the first woman to assume the role since Marni’s founder, Consuelo Castiglioni.

“I’m truly honored to join Marni — a house I’ve long admired for its independent spirit,” said Rogge in a statement. “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.”

Rogge has been making a name for herself in the fashion industry for the last 20 years, graduating from the Royal Academy of Antwerp before working as an intern on the Marc Jacobs design team from 2008-2015. She then returned to Belgium to head womenswear design at Dries Van Noten. In 2020, Rogge launched her eponymous fashion brand, finding critical and commercial acclaim for her practical and wearable yet bold and elegant designs that call on vintage references, bright pops of color and uniquely-drawn floral prints. 

“We met many highly qualified candidates, confirming how Marni continues to inspire and attract creatives from around the world,” said Renzo Rosso, chairman of Marni’s parent company, OTB, in a statement. “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.”

The 40-year-old designer comes to the brand fresh off the heels of her ANDAM Grand Prize win last month, for which her brand was recognized for its independent success and awarded a grant, alongside a year of mentorship from LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault’s senior advisor and president of the Institut Français de la Mode (IFM), Sidney Toledano. Rogge also recently won Designer of the Year at the 2024 Belgian Fashion Awards, making her the first woman to receive the honor.

In a press statement Stefano Rosso, CEO of Marni, said, “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.”

Amid industry shake ups that have seen 17 new creative director appointments at major fashion houses in the last year, Rogge becomes only the fourth female designer to be tapped for one of these roles. Though the future of the designer’s personal brand went unaddressed in the statement and no specifics surrounding her debut collection for Marni have been announced, the Italian brand will likely present its upcoming collection during Milan Fashion Week in September as usual.

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