The first woman to be named Belgium’s Designer of the Year, Meryll Rogge succeeds Francesco Risso at the Italian brand
After it was announced last month that Marni creative director Francesco Risso would be stepping down from his role after almost a decade, parent company Only The Brave (OTB) has announced today (July 15), that Belgian unisex designer Meryll Rogge will be his replacement.
“We met many highly qualified candidates, confirming how Marni continues to inspire and attract creatives from around the world,” OTB founder and chairman Renzo Rosso told Vogue Business. “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.”
Rogge cut her teeth studying at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, following in the footsteps of fashion legends such as Martin Margiela, Dries Van Noten, Demna, Ann Demeulemeester and Walter Van Beirendonck to name a few. After graduating, she moved to New York, where she worked as a womenswear designer under Marc Jacobs. She spent seven years in the Big Apple before returning to Belgium to work on Dries Van Noten’s womenswear collections. Soon, she was head of womenswear.
In 2020, she took the plunge and began her namesake brand. Since then, she’s dressed some of the world’s biggest celebrities and racked up numerous critical accolades too. She was named Emerging Talent of the Year at the Belgian Fashion Awards in 2021, before going on to claim the prestigious Designer of the Year title in 2024, becoming the first woman to receive the award. In 2025, she was a finalist for the International Woolmark Prize and, and just last week, she was crowned the winner of this year's ANDAM Prize too.
Her collections deliberately blend highbrow with lowbrow, delivering luxury but never without a playful, deconstructed edge. She blends vintage flourishes with modern innovation, making her the ideal candidate for Marni’s next head honcho. Her appointment at the brand also marks a symbolic win for women in fashion, whose names, sadly, are rarely mentioned in creative director announcements.
“I’m truly honored to join Marni — a house I’ve long admired for its independent spirit. To take on a role defined by such visionary creative directors is both humbling and inspiring,” said Rogge. ”I’m deeply grateful to Renzo and Stefano for recognising the resonance between our worlds and for entrusting me with this extraordinary opportunity. I look forward to helping shape what comes next for Marni.”
It's yet to be confirmed when the designer will show her first collection for the brand, but should it be this autumn, Meryll's vision for Marni will add to the ever evolving list of exciting designer debuts happening this September.