Meryll Rogge Is the New Creative Director of Marni

Meryll Rogge is the new creative director of Marni. Only The Brave (OTB), the brand’s parent company, confirmed on Tuesday that Rogge will take over following Francesco Risso’s departure last month. The Belgian designer has been one to watch since launching her namesake brand and just took home this year’s ANDAM Prize for emerging designers.

“I’m truly honored to join Marni—a house I’ve long admired for its independent spirit,” Rogge said in a statement. “To take on a role defined by such visionary creative directors is both humbling and inspiring. I’m deeply grateful to [OTB founder and chairman Renzo Rosso] and [CEO Stefano Rosso] 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’s name might not ring a bell to all, but the designer already has some famous fans, including Cate Blanchett, Dua Lipa, Rihanna, Chlöe Sevingy, and Kendall Jenner. And her resume speaks for itself. Rogge started her career as an illustrator, working for Disney, before she changed tracks and headed to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. After an education in Antwerp, Rogge moved to New York to work with Marc Jacobs for seven years before leaving to take the role of head of womenswear at Dries Van Noten. Even after leaving, she continued to consult with the brand and helped with its beauty line. Van Noten’s love of texture, color, and pattern clearly made an impression on Rogge’s own brand, which she started in 2020. Since its founding, the label has garnered a bit of a cult following, with fans clamoring for more of Rogge’s eclectic and bright, yet still laissez-faire and wearable style.

Recently, the 40-year-old has experienced a surge in popularity. She became the first woman to be named Designer of the Year at the 2024 Belgian Fashion Awards, and she was a finalist for the LVMH Prize in 2022 and the Woolmark Prize in 2025. Just last month, Rogge took home the 2025 ANDAM Fashion Award and the €300,000 that comes with it.

With the choice of Rogge, OTB is returning Marni to the hands of a female designer, as the brand was started in 1994 by Consuelo Castiglioni. Rogge is the only female creative director at OTB at the moment, with the company recently hiring Simone Bellotti for the top spot at Jil Sander and Glenn Martens to lead Maison Margiela (he also continues to lead Diesel). But the move is also notable in the broader context of the fashion industry, where women creative directors are currently few and far between. Gender aside, the choice also suggests that OTB was looking for a relatively unknown, yet skillful and experienced name, making Rogge the perfect fit.

“It is a great pleasure to welcome Meryll to Marni,” Stefano Rosso said in a statement. “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.” He continued, saying that, throughout the process of finding Risso’s replacement, Rogge impressed them “with the sensitivity she brought to reinterpreting the brand’s DNA, offering a contemporary vision that embraces Marni globally and across all its dimensions.”