Puma Curry has a somewhat unusual job for an 18-year-old from Dallas: she’s her mother’s personal assistant. But when you’re the daughter of musical legend Erykah Badu, that kind of title makes sense. “It’s a fabulous job, I’ve gotta say,” she says with a giggle during a Zoom call with Badu, who’s beaming in from New York City while her daughter is home in Texas. “I’m learning how it is out on the road.
“He asked me if I wanted to do a capsule collection with him, so I said, Oh my god, yeah, of course,” Badu explains of working with Risso. For her part, Curry met the designer at her “very first photo shoot” in the Cayman Islands for a past Marni campaign. “Francesco made me feel so at home when I was just starting to learn about the industry,” she says. “And I knew my mom liked the brand.”
But I imagine those commonalities with Marni you mentioned might be why you would pursue a project with this particular label.That’s part of the reason. The other half is Francesco himself. The house is only as great as its creative director—and creative, he is: an explosion of color and mentorship and honor and grace, through his work. It feels good working with him, talking to him. He’s honest about the way he feels and it makes for really good art.