Belgian designer Meryll Rogge is the new creative director of Marni, parent company Only The Brave (OTB) announced today. She succeeds outgoing creative director Francesco Risso, who exited the label in June after almost 10 years at the helm.

“It is a great pleasure to welcome Meryll to Marni,” says brand CEO Stefano Rosso. “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.”

“We met many highly qualified candidates, confirming how Marni continues to inspire and attract creatives from around the world. 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,” adds OTB founder and chairman Renzo Rosso. “I wish her the best in carrying this vision forward with passion, supported by a team and a group that have always placed creativity at the core of their identity.”

Rogge launched her eponymous womenswear brand in 2020 and has attracted considerable attention for her upcycled, reconstructed garments, often inspired by specific time periods or locations, from Salvador Dali’s hometown to Americana fashion in the ’80s.

After graduating from Antwerp Academy, she cut her teeth as a womenswear designer for Marc Jacobs in New York (2008 to 2015) before moving back to Belgium to become head of womenswear design at Dries Van Noten, working side by side with Dries. Since striking out on her own, Rogge won the 2025 Andam prize, and was named a finalist for the LVMH Prize (2022), the Andam Prize (2024) and the Woolmark Prize (2025). She’s a proponent of bold colours, prints and constructions, and works with a focus on wearability. “We’re at the moment a team of only women, and we wear our clothes every day,” the designer told Vogue’s Laird Borelli-Persson ahead of the autumn/winter 2025 show.

Rogge’s appointment marks a total creative reshuffle at Marni’s parent company, OTB, over the last year. In March, the group appointed Simone Bellotti at Jil Sander and announced Glenn Martens as creative director at Maison Margiela, in addition to Diesel. Crucially, following the departure of Luke and Lucie Meier from Jil Sander, Rogge is now the only female creative director in the OTB stable.

Alongside her design work, Rogge is also brand savvy. She also runs a creative consultancy working with brands within Puig and LVMH on brand positioning and design. Following her departure from her full-time role at Dries Van Noten, she continued to consult for the label and helped conceive its beauty line. “I really like thinking through the eyes of another brand,” she told Vogue Business last year. “I feel like I’m good at identifying their DNA, what the brand is about. One of my talents is to combine my vision with someone else’s to create something new and fresh.” This experience could tee her up nicely to take the helm at an established label like Marni.

“I’m truly honoured 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. 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.”

Perhaps the creative shake-up can turn the tide on post-pandemic sales challenges for OTB, which, after a strong 2023, saw a 4.4 per cent sales decline for fiscal 2024. The company doesn’t break out brand revenues, but Marni’s growth was slower than that of other OTB labels. The last time the group broke out brand growth figures, Marni grew 8 per cent in 2023, compared with 23 per cent growth at Margiela and 17 per cent at Diesel. Rosso appointed his son Stefano Rosso, chairman of Margiela, as CEO of Marni in May last year to help drive the business. Now, with new business and creative leadership, and a woman designing for women, perhaps the tide can turn.