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

Founded by Riccardo Audisio and Yago Goicoechea, the latter born in Argentina, the 2 designers met on the Istituto Marangoni in Milan and quickly realized they need to dive into business head first — despite their lack of experience. 

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

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

Taller Marmo is called after the Spanish word for laboratory and the Italian word for marble, which was meant to point the designers’ experimentation with revolutionary 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 comparable to Elizabeth Taylor and Diana Ross, by 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 within the movie “Mahogany,” retailing at 1,000 euros, and the Ubud with feathers, which sells for 1,900 euros within the long version.

“It’s a contemporary, fun take from time to time wear that helps women feel extraordinary,” said Audisio in an interview along with his partner on the brand’s showroom here, crammed 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, amongst others.

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

Goicoechea underscored that Taller Marmo is “inclusive with none effort, reaching out to the 20-year-old in Riyadh in addition to the 60-year-old in Los Angeles.”

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

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

The designers began buying fabrics in 2012, working with a Sicilian seamstress, and moved to Dubai in 2013, organising their company that yr, and where their modest fashion quickly became a neighborhood 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 additionally they create short dresses, glittery pants and feathered tops.

Moving back to Italy in 2016, sustainability is a priority for the 2 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 scale back the carbon footprint.  The collections are only produced to order, avoiding extra inventory.

The viscose is FSC certified and the polyester utilized in garments is recycled, while the sequins are constructed from recycled plastic present in the ocean. The cotton is a component of the Higher 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 primary 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, in addition to Harvey Nichols in Dubai, Riyadh and Doha are amongst among the retailers within 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 of 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 vibrant orange and striking blue dresses specifically for Harrods clients in mind, which were among the bestsellers of their Harrods pop-up, with customers gravitating to the tried and tested shapes that Taller Marmo is understood for — the orange specifically being a standout.

In 2021, Taller Marmo launched a bridal collection.