For Marni's Autumn Winter 2026 presentation at Milan Fashion Week, design studio Formafantasma conceived a distinctive stage, setting a tone of grounded familiarity for Meryll Rogge's inaugural collection as the brand's creative director. The exhibition space, situated within Marni's Milan headquarters, was structured with tall, dark wooden frames and reflective surfaces, enveloping a brightly illuminated area. Adorning the walls and mirrors were numerous rectangular canvases, each meticulously hand-painted with scenes of ordinary items, including an office chair, a bright yellow lighter, a section of orange peel, and the image of a PDF document displayed on a laptop screen.

Formafantasma's designers, Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, aimed to anchor the fashion show in the realm of the commonplace, asserting that these 'banal' images are precisely the kind of details often overlooked in daily life, yet they represent the authentic environments where clothing truly exists. This deliberate choice to portray such unassuming objects served to challenge the rapid consumption of fashion imagery, inviting attendees to pause and engage more deeply with their surroundings. The arrangement of the wooden frames and mirrored panels was intended to evoke a domestic setting, albeit one that appears subtly disjointed, creating a sense of a space deconstructed and then imperfectly reassembled.

Guests at the show were seated on benches upholstered in pleated grey fabric, set upon a carpeted floor conceptualized as an expansive doormat. This design element symbolized a threshold, blurring the lines between external reality and the curated spectacle of the runway. Through this unconventional set, Formafantasma expressed a desire for the audience to consider fashion not merely as an idealized image, but as an integral part of everyday environments, encountered in passing, reflected, and in motion. Their approach underscores a commitment to critical inquiry, reflecting the studio's broader portfolio of research-driven projects that explore diverse topics from modernism's legacy to the global timber industry and the history of wool production.

This innovative approach to set design by Formafantasma transcends conventional fashion presentation, offering a profound commentary on perception and engagement. By focusing on the overlooked details of daily life, the studio encourages a deeper, more mindful appreciation of both design and fashion. This not only elevates the presentation of garments but also fosters a rich dialogue about the relationship between clothing and its lived context, inspiring observers to find beauty and significance in the mundane.