Blumarine just announced David Koma is stepping up as its new Creative Director, following the departure of Walter Chiapponi after only one season, and the fashion world is gassed. But does Koma really have what it takes to revive Blumarine?
If we asked you to picture Blumarine, images of its denim SS23 show, its Barbie-esque SS22 collection, or the hyper-femininity of SS21 could come to mind. It’s a brand that’s been credited for the widely popular Y2K revival of late, and that’s largely thanks to Nicola Brognano, the designer behind Blumarine’s 2020’s resurgence.
However, in October 2023 it was announced Brognano would be stepping down from Blumarine’s helm and the brand revealed its next Creative Director: former Tod’s designer, Walter Chiapponi. Unfortunately, what Chiapponi failed to do in his first (and last) season designing for Blumarine was to continue the beloved unapologetic sexuality of the brand.
As Nicola Brognano told Vogue in 2021, “my Blumarine is more dirty, b-tchy, sexier,” and that’s what the people loved about it. For many, Chiapponi’s appointment at Blumarine signalled a move away from its Y2K aesthetic, and that much was evident in the knitted cardigans, lace brogues, and floral prints seen at his AW24 show.
Walter Chiapponi wanted to bring romance, grunge, and rebellion to Blumarine, ushering it into a new era. However, Blumarine’s dedicated hoard of Y2K-obsessed fans weren’t into Chiapponi’s new direction, and he was revealed to be stepping down in March shortly after his first (and last) show.
What we’re wondering now is: will David Koma be able to satisfy a revival of Blumarine’s familiar hyper-feminine, Y2K aesthetic whilst bringing his own mark to the brand? We know that David Koma’s capable of putting sex on the runway, seen at his eponymous label where he gained a reputation for collections inspired by and celebrating the female form.
David Koma is more than capable of bringing some strong femininity to his designs at Blumarine, given his own designs are popular among the likes of Beyoncé, Dua Lipa, Cara Delevingne, Kendall Jenner, and BLACKPINK. On top of this, he’s also known for picking female muses from male-dominated fields, like marine biologist Dr Sylvia Earle, motorsports pioneers Adeline and Augusta Van Buren, or female footballer Lily Parr.
Whether we see a revival of Nicola Brognano’s Blumarine under David Koma, or an entirely new take on the brand’s aesthetic from a new Koma-esque angle, we’ll just have to wait and see. All we can say for sure is that - knowing David Koma - Blumarine’s about to get a hell of a lot sexier.
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