Antonio Marras desired to rediscover his root

Right from his earliest collections, Marras has taken an attitude towards the past of his land that more unscrupulous call disruption: a term which contains the idea of "breaking" the mould by rediscover forgotten element.
Antonio Marras has been always using the elements picked up from his island of birth. For example, the in the menswear collection for spring-summer 2005, dedicated to Tore Burruni, a boxer form Alghero who was famous in the fifties.
Antonio Marras who belong to a "failed nation" and are a prolong colonial past under his consciousness, this make he extremely open to theme linked to identity pr otherness.
in his house-cum-studio a whole room is filled with books devoted to Sardinian cultural movement and artistss who works, lives and projects he studies.
The haute courture parades Fili Lai Lai (S/S1997), Ligazzos rubios(A/W1997/1998), and Fogu. fogu(S/S1998) show intensive exploration on his culture.
his clothes do not generally echo the cuts of Sardinian costumes. Rather than that it is in their details that rediscovered past is celebrated.

Antonio Marras in the word of mouth from the others

Let's see what is Antonio Marras' s design and how he uses of color by others' point of view.

Order and disorder, nature and culture, children's drawings and citations of artists. sophisticated hand-made embroideries and suturing stitches, exuberant colors and cult of the monochrome, connivance of different patterns: all this weaves a backcloth of which Marras is the author and, at the same time, the first person to be caught in its spell. Like a child. An all too wise child who dominates and directs a world where opposites coincide in unexpected harmonies. ( form Suzy Menkes, 2005)

The root color of Antonio Marras

From the history of color usage from Antonio Marras, it isn't hard to know that Antonio Marras has been repeatedly using the color of Black, White and Red.

What is color theory beneath it? Monochromatic? Primary color? NO.

If you have a profound study on the biography of Antonio Marras, you would know that those three colors are actually the core colors from the flag of Sardinia.

Besides, culture of Sardinia deeply influences his design and color used.

You might say, why the combination of Red, Black, and Red could only inspired flag of Sardinia, but not other countries flag with same color pattern.
Designer uses the color combination to remind of his own country by both color selection and color ratio.
For example,
You could not the be reminded of Germany by using the color of Red. Black, and White, as the color combination of traditional Germany is Black, Red, and Yellow.
Nonetheless, you might argue that the color combination of Black, Red and White are also the core color consisted in the Egypt country flag. Thus, could it possible Antonio Marras using such color combination to remind the culture of Egypt?
I could say that that answer is No. Other then the color selection, color ratio is another skill to express messages. The color ratio of Egypt flag of Red, Black, and White are in equal ratio, but Sardinia flag is in which under the ratio of Red: 20 Black:30 White:50. Accordingly, the color ratio in Antonio Marras Design follows similar color ratio.
To conclude, the color combination and color ratio of Antonio Marras Designs successfully deliver the conceptual message of his own country.

Check the Checked pattern!

Checked pattern composes of pretty much of colors, but it still brings into harmony, what is the secret behind?
Let's check it out!
By the color theory we've learnt, it's not hard to discover that they are composed with the theory of Triad.
Using different three colors in Triad, says, violet, orange and green, could also bring into harmony.

Better One?

Which one is better in services or products? It's hard to say.

However, under the color usage, 7-eleven seems better.

Circle-K only uses of sharp red as core color and thin blue edge in contrast, a warm and cool color in contrast. While, 7-eleven uses of the color theory of Single Split, blue green, red, and orange.

A.M. Color

Colors used from 1996-2006:

1996 (Haute Couture): Grey, black, brown, gold, silver, sage green, ivory.

1997 (Haute Couture): Black, grey, ivory, white, silver, traces of blues.

1998 (Haute Couture): White, grey, crimson, sulphur yellow.

1999 (Haute Couture): Shade of white and black, ecru, red stripe.

1999 (Women's wear A/W): Acid and rainbow tints, red, white, black.

2000 (Women's wear S/S): Accords of old rose and petroleum, grey and aubergine, white, brick red, red, black.

2001 (Women's wear A/W): White, grey, black, red, ecru, brown, turquoise.

2001 (Women's wear S/S): White, grey, black, ecru, red signs.

2002 (Women's wear A/W): Black and white, tea, ivory, turquoise, dark burhundy, brown, ecru, light grey.

2002 (Women's wear S/S): Red and blue, black and ecru, white.

2003 (Women's wear A/W): Bright tints like yellow, green, red, fuchsia and turquoise. White, black, ecru, brown.

2003 (Men's wear S/S): white, black, red, reddish, brown, light blue.

2003 (Women's wear S/S): White, black, grey-green, flesh.

2004 (Men's wear A/W): Black, grey, brown, white, blue, turquoise, red, and yellow.

2004 (Women wear's A/W): Black, grey, midnight, blue, graphite, mud ecru, red, white.

2004 (Men wear's S/S): White, blue, burgundy and ecru, black.

2004 (Women wear's S/S): Pink, white, black, yellow, fuchsia, apple green.

2005 (Men wear's A/W): White, black, dove grey, mud and grey. Splashes of yelllow, acid green and orange.

2005 (Women wear's A/W): Turquoise, white, black, cream, and a few touches of red.

2005 (Men wear's S/S): Ecru, faded blue, mud grey, white, black, lobster pink, turquoise.

2005 (Women wear's S/S): shades of white, powder,pink and beige, grey, faded blue, sage green.

2006 (Men wear's A/W): White, blure, brown, mud, black　and a　few of yellow, green , pink　and burgundy red.

2006 (Women wear's A/W): Black, white, moss green， dark brown, light grey, mud, dark red.

2006 (Men wear's S/S): Blue, white, black, sage green, powder pink, fluorescent.

2006 (Women wear's S/S): White, black, dark blue, ivory, brown, burgundy, hunther green.

Brand Audit

Brand: Antonio Marras

Designer: Antonio Marras, Italian Designer, Sardinian Designer strictly speaking, who is also the Head Designer of Kenzo.

Brief History: Antonio Marras, who ws borned in Alghero in Sarfinia in 1961. He was attracted to Fashion when he was firstly stepping in his father fabric shop. After spending years of experiments on fabrics and materials, he launched the first fashion shows under his own brand based on Italy.

The women who wears Antonio Marras: Antonio Marras's women is always that of an ineffable lightness and fairness. Under the definition of Antonio Marras, femininity could be expressed in the term, janas, the fairies of Sardinian tales.

"the janas are a little people, they are tiny, a bit more or a bit less than a palm's height. They dress in bright red, cover their heads with gaily-colored scarves, embroidered with gold and silver thread, and heavy necklaces of wrought gold." from Antonio Mancinelli ANTONIO MARRAS.

Chief executive officer: Antonia Marras also was hired to the Artistic Director of Kenzo of the women universe bus, under the appointment of LVMH group.
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