Marni - Milan F09Among her multi-textured, many-layered spots, stripes, blurry checks, painterly abstracts, harlequin lozenges, and splashy fifties flowers, Consuelo Castiglioni wove in an untrammeled sense of optimism and continuity. Her striped and frill-fronted cardigans; sparkly loop-fringe mini boleros; and dense, shimmery embroideries of multicolored spiky plastic paillettes were just some of the star moments. The bigger success, though, is how Castiglioni flings it all together, ties it up in the middle, adds a kneesock and a clunky platform, and yet still somehow manages to stop short of busy confusion. That simple/complicated knack is what keeps Marni lovers coming back for more, as well as the knowledge that the collection is a cherry picker's bonanza full of pieces that lend themselves to myriad personal styles. ]]>