Plan C: A star is born, or rather, hatched

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Sep 21, 2018

The apple never falls too far from the tree.
 
Friday witnessed the unveiling of Plan C, and the debut collection of Carolina Castigloni, the daughter of Consuelo Castigloni, the much-acclaimed founding designer Marni.

It turned out to be a very charming initiation – and a significant commercial success. Plan C already has an exclusive with Barneys in the US; and will be sold in Le Bon Marché in Paris; Browns in the UK, Lane Crawford in Asia, and all Corso Como boutiques worldwide. The collection will arrive in stores next January. 

 It’s still a family affair. Carolina’s father Gianni is the CEO and her brother Giovanni is operations officer. And the presentation took place in central Via Visconti di Modrone, in the space where Carolina’s grandmother founded the company Pellicceria Motta, originally dedicated to furs, back in the '60s, later expanding into ready-to-wear with Marni.

Carolina has much of her mother’s elegant and avant-garde DNA, but worked that into more simple, voluminous garments in stiff fabrics that stand off the torso in flattering angles. Using materials like coated Japanese cotton, matt cashmere and pony skin. The ideas were never formulaic, and often prettily offbeat – like a clever flat gray coat cut in the shape of interior lining; or re-worked motorcycle jackets lengthened to the knee, and devoid of sleeves. One super A-line dress was made in beige plasticized cotton, the same material used in the curtains of the show space.

“Today is really amazing. So many people came. I wanted clothes that I would wear, simple yet elegant. Clothes for every day, where you could chose pieces that you like and put together in your own way,” explained Carolina, like her mother, a permanently youthful mother-of-two.
 
Presented amid classic modern mid-century furniture, this was a very polished debut - exactly what one expects from the Castiglioni family.
 
Entering and exiting the space one was also struck by her youthful staff. Dressed in wide samurai pants with side stripes and crisp Japanese cotton shirts with contrasting collars they were the coolest looking team we’ve seen at any event in Milan this season. It’s another telling detail that spoke volumes about the future of Plan C.