It’s the dawn of a new day for the house of Blumarine. With Nicola Brognano’s exit and the subsequent appointment of Walter Chiapponi, question marks filled the industry. What was to happen to the brand’s (not so) recent Y2K makeover? Well, looking at Chiapponi's debut, it’s been scrapped, replaced with romantic maximalism. Not that it took much interpretation from our end, as a dress spelled out: “Je retourne à l’amour” on its back.
The romanticism isn’t farfetched, it’s a callback to the brand’s popular aesthetic pre-Brognano’s takeover. From floral patterns to animal motifs, this season’s offerings were filled with references to co-founder Anna Molinari’s Blumarine.
The collection, despite its clear point of view, was eclectic. Bright yellow coats interrupted flowy transparent sets. Fur ball-trimmed cardigans and skirt sets were interrupted by red leopard print tops.
Despite confessing to only having three months to make his first collection, Chiapponi somehow found time to debut menswear in the brand’s offerings, including a sumptuous floral coat and tailored suit jackets.
Words by Pedro Vasconcelos
