Taller Marmo Designers Make Women Feel Like Divas – WWD

MILAN — Taller Marmo has a unique history, as unique as its name.

Founded by Riccardo Audisio and Yago Goicoechea, the latter born in Argentina, the two designers met at the Istituto Marangoni in Milan and quickly realized they should dive into business head first — despite their lack of experience. 

Their bold move was repaid, as Taller Marmo already relies on a network of top retailers both online and in brick-and-mortar doors.

Most recently, a Taller Marmo pop-up has opened in Kuwait City with Bloomingdale’s and another pop-up will be unveiled at Bloomingdale’s at the Dubai Mall on Monday. Both were designed in collaboration with architect Thomas Zangaro.

Taller Marmo is named after the Spanish word for laboratory and the Italian word for marble, which was meant to indicate the designers’ experimentation with innovative techniques and luxury fabrics.

The designers have been inspired by the show business world of the ‘60s and ‘70s — think Mina and Raffaella Carrà — or enduring divas such as Elizabeth Taylor and Diana Ross, by fashion designer Mila Schön, and the quintessential symbol of elegance, Marella Agnelli.

Indeed, a bestseller is the Mrs. Ross caftan, inspired by the icon’s character in the movie “Mahogany,” retailing at 1,000 euros, and the Ubud with feathers, which sells for 1,900 euros in the long version.

“It’s a modern, fun take on occasion wear that helps women feel extraordinary,” said Audisio in an interview with his partner at the brand’s showroom here, filled with color and art works.

The brand has been attracting the likes of Alicia Keys, Kylie Minogue, Salma Hayek, Kate Beckinsale, Iris Apfel and Cynthia Erivo, among others.

The high summer 2023 campaign dedicated to the Middle East was fronted by Farida Khelfa.

Goicoechea underscored that Taller Marmo is “inclusive without any effort, reaching out to the 20-year-old in Riyadh as well as the 60-year-old in Los Angeles.”

Their satin caftans and asymmetric gowns embellished with fringes and feathers attract both modest and maximalist customers.

“The designs are very comfortable, but can still look very dramatic,” said Audisio.

The designers started buying fabrics in 2012, working with a Sicilian seamstress, and moved to Dubai in 2013, setting up their company that year, and where their modest fashion quickly became a local hit. In 2015 they won the regional Woolmark Prize and its accompanying 30,000 euros.

Bridging the West and the East, 60 percent of their business is derived from caftans, but they also create short dresses, glittery pants and feathered tops.

Moving back to Italy in 2016, sustainability is a priority for the two designers, who apply the principles of “slow fashion” with the goal of reducing the impact on the environment. 

Taller Marmo produces its collections entirely in Italy, in small and medium family-owned factories. Manufacturing is managed internally to avoid subcontracting. The factories are based near their headquarters and distribution center to reduce the carbon footprint.  The collections are only produced to order, avoiding extra inventory.

The viscose is FSC certified and the polyester used in garments is recycled, while the sequins are made from recycled plastic found in the ocean. The cotton is part of the Better Cotton Initiative.

The jacquards and fil coupé fabrics are made by a historic family-owned silk mill in Como, Italy, and the feathers are sourced exclusively in South Africa and assembled by hand in Florence, Italy. 

Browns was the first international retailer that bought Taller Marmo garments, they recalled. The collections are sold online at Brownsfashion, Net-a-porter, Matchesfashion, Mytheresa, Harrods, Farfetch, Harvey Nichols and Ounass.

Etoile La Boutique in Dubai; Abu Dhabi, UAE; Doha, Qatar; and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as well as Harvey Nichols in Dubai, Riyadh and Doha are among some of the retailers in the Middle East that sell Taller Marmo.  Harrods and Harvey Nichols in London, Antonia in Italy, and Tootsies in Dallas, Houston, and Atlanta are also solid supporters of the brand. 

“Taller Marmo’s use of vibrant color in their collections really resonates with Harrods’ local, and international, customers,” said Clemmie Harris, head of womenswear at Harrods. The brand recently created an exclusive capsule of bright orange and striking blue dresses specifically for Harrods clients in mind, which were some of the bestsellers in their Harrods pop-up, with customers gravitating to the tried and tested shapes that Taller Marmo is known for — the orange in particular being a standout.

In 2021, Taller Marmo launched a bridal collection.