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Blumarine has appointed Walter Chiapponi as creative director. His first collection for the Italian brand, owned by Marco Marchi (who is CEO and founder of holding company Eccellenze Italiane), will be unveiled in February 2024 during Milan Fashion Week.
“I am delighted to have been appointed creative director of an iconic Italian brand that has outlined over time an idea of femininity that is defined by lightness and creativity. The possibility of contributing to establishing a new phase for Blumarine is for me an opportunity to embrace new thrilling and important horizons, to expand my vision and to restore sense to artistic expression,” Chiapponi said in a statement.
Chiapponi exited his role as creative director of Tod’s in September after presenting his final collection for Spring/Summer 2024. He had been at Tod’s since 2019, joining from Bottega Veneta where he worked under Tomas Maier, the former creative director. Chiapponi was initially brought in to modernise Tod’s. His appointment combined men’s and women’s under one designer following the departures of Alessandra Facchinetti, former creative director of the women’s collections, in 2016, and Andrea Incontri, who headed up the menswear department, in 2019.
The Milanese designer, who has also worked with Alessandro Dell’Acqua, and had design stints at Givenchy, Valentino and Gucci, is known for his nonchalant but sophisticated approach to fashion, suggesting a potential pivot for Blumarine away from the Y2K aesthetic it leaned heavily into under former creative director Nicola Brognano, who departed in October.
During his four-year tenure, Brognano helped to breathe new life into Blumarine, which hit a peak in the 1990s but lost traction in the 2010s. Brognano’s first collection for the label, featuring butterfly tops and sequin-heavy pieces, went viral on TikTok in 2020, just as the gaudy Y2K style was gaining popularity among young consumers. The designer maintained this vision until his final SS24 collection, which featured low slung trousers and ruffled dresses, accompanied by large feathered angel wings — reminiscent of those worn by Victoria’s Secret Angels — strapped to the backs of models.
Despite high interest in Y2K, many young people don’t buy new; instead they wear pieces from each other’s wardrobes, helping to fuel a resale market that has tripled since 2020, according to the latest research by Boston Consulting Group and Vestiaire Collective. That may have been a challenge for Blumarine, even if consumers’ nostalgic, retro aesthetic remains strong. More recently, there has also been a pivot to shopping less and buying well. Ostentatious clothing is out, while thoughtful shopping habits and investment pieces are in.
At Blumarine, Brognano made a bigger push on accessories as he sought to expand the brand’s scope. He also played a role in helping to forge new ties with brands including Heaven by Marc Jacobs and Suicoke through collaborations. Chiapponi, too, has experience with accessories: at Tod’s, he honed in on the brand’s signature Gommino pebble detail and expanded it across footwear while also growing its selection of handbags (leather and accessories remain a core business of Tod’s).
A recent post on Blumarine’s Instagram featuring rapper Giselle of Korean girl group Aespa wearing the label suggests that Blumarine won’t leave behind its feminine and flirty style, but under Chiapponi, it may feature a blend of old-fashioned craftsmanship with modern marketing.
“I am confident that Walter Chiapponi, with his internationally recognised talent and his fine stylistic sensibility, will bring new energy to Blumarine while honouring the brand’s extraordinary heritage. I am proud to write a new and important chapter with Walter,” said Marchi.
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