Marni’s sophisticated quirk has garnered a loyal following among women who want as much personality as polish in their wardrobe. Pre-Fall 2013 proved a classic study in the Marni tradition of taking that which might be considered dowdy and workaday–generously man-tailored suits, performance-outerwear parkas–and rendering it exciting through bricolage and modern-magpie styling.

Head-to-toe printed suits have been big in Milan since Fall 2012 (thanks to Miuccia Prada) but Marni’s Consuelo Castiglioni had a new take on the boyish trend; her graphic houndstooth suits put a playful spin the traditional suit structure. Paired with seriously bad-ass creeper boots, the whole thing conjured a “wicked” ska-rudeboy vibe.

On the flipside, dashes of femininity–by way of skirts layered over pants in suiting and nostalgic paneled-furs–softened some of those potentially too-hard edges.

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