When Nicola Brognano left Blumarine at the end of 2023, a question mark remained over the fate of the Y2K aesthetic that the Italian designer brought to the brand. The appointment of Walter Chiapponi as his successor suggests that the brand will likely follow a more sophisticated and understated direction, one that is so in vogue right now.
Before Blumarine's new chapter begins next month with the debut of Chiapponi, the in-house design team was tasked with transporting the brand between mandates with a transitional collection. It reached an optimal point by already offering a more elevated and bourgeois image without forgetting the lessons that the Brognano era taught and that promoted the renewal of Blumarine.
The brand's signatures, such as feminine dresses, fuzzy fabrics, lingerie-inspired details, rose embellishments, and leopard motifs, were reframed with wearability in mind, translating into credible looks that could exist beyond an Instagram post.
Fluffy jacquard cardigans and floral-print twin sets evoked Blumarine's heyday, while her femininity and romantic nature were exalted through hand embroidery on lolita-style dresses, floral prints on ankle-length satin dresses, and maxi bows appearing. in a fresh wool model. Marabou finishes added a frou-frou touch to many pieces, including a pair of boxer briefs, an item Brognano exhumed from fashion oblivion last year.
Other key elements of Brognano's lexicon—cargo pants and denim—were updated and softened in appearance, with the former stripped of their raw, street attitude for a slimmer appeal and the latter given satin and lace inserts for added finesse.
Ribbed knits, leggings and burgundy vinyl sets and trench coats completed the collection, which offered a nice palate cleanser.
