Walter Chiapponi presented his first outing as creative director of Blumarine today, replacing Nicola Brognano who, together with über-stylist Lotta Volkova, put the brand on the radar of Gen Z TikTokers, who fell for his unapologetic take on Y2K codes of (un)dressing. Chiapponi comes from a successful stint at Tod’s, whose casual luxury is miles away from the dare-to-bare look Brognano and Volkova duo pushed forward, making Blumarine a social media sensation.
Chiapponi knows Blumarine quite well, having worked during the label’s heyday from 2001 to 2005 under founder Anna Molinari. That was a time when advertising campaigns were shot by the likes of Helmut Newton, Juergen Teller and Albert Watson, who gave a patina of glamour to its frivolous, boudoir-ish femininity—a sort of ante litteram coquette look with sexier undertones. Chiapponi said he wanted to go back to a sense of light, spontaneous seduction, infused with a sentiment for romantic decadence and a certain fragility. “It’s an interpretation through the lens of love and emotion; there are not citations, just poetry,” he said.
In lieu of show notes, a poem written by an undisclosed author was left on the seats; it spoke of a she/her wandering through the city at dawn, “her garments made by the city itself.” The collection had a delicate real-life pragmatism to it; modeled by a cast of diverse characters, it revisited Blumarine’s repertoire according to the sensitive, toned down Chiapponi’s ways. Animalier printed city coats shown over briefs were plausibly wearable; a teddy hoodie printed with rosebuds looked sweet on a guy; flimsy black lace slip dresses were cautiously see-through; a fitted knitted ensemble trimmed with pom-poms and a mohair minidress with a heart-shaped back will surely appeal to a femme-enfant. As a full-on reset, it felt effective enough. Now Chiapponi can give himself the freedom and joy to turn the volume up a notch, and give voice to a new Blumarine.
