Sources Say Walter Chiapponi Is Headed to Blumarine

MILAN — Sources say Walter Chiapponi, who exited his position as inventive director of Tod’s in September after the model’s womenswear spring 2024 present, is headed to Blumarine.

As reported, Nicola Brognano and Blumarine are parting methods by mutual settlement.

Chiapponi joined Tod’s in October 2019, in control of the ladies’s and males’s collections for the model. His first assortment bowed with the autumn 2020 season.

Earlier than Tod’s, Chiapponi labored for years at Bottega Veneta with the model’s former inventive director, Tomas Maier. He began his profession at Blumarine whereas it was nonetheless owned by the Tarabini household, sources mentioned, and over time additionally labored at Givenchy, Gucci, Miu Miu and Valentino.

Chiapponi succeeded in growing understated, nonchalant but subtle luxurious collections that mirrored the high-end way of life and Italian craftsmanship that Tod’s stands for. He revisited the model’s staple Gommino pebble element, supersizing it on Tod’s signature moccasins, ballerinas and boots, and additional expanded the choice of purses — leather-based and equipment being the label’s core enterprise.

Brognano was appointed inventive director of the model on the finish of 2019, proper after Blumarine’s guardian firm Blufin moved underneath the management of Italian entrepreneur Marco Marchi’s EIH Eccellenze Italiane group.

If confirmed, Chiapponi’s arrival at Blumarine might doubtlessly mirror an aesthetic change for the model.

Tapped by Marchi to revamp the storied Italian vogue home, identified for its female romanticism, Brognano imprinted a robust Y2K aesthetic, bringing Blumarine again into the highlight, particularly amongst youthful generations.

Born in 1990, Brognano labored with Giambattista Valli in Paris on the designer’s ready-to-wear and couture collections, in addition to at Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda.

He launched his namesake model in 2016, the identical 12 months he received the “Who Is On Subsequent?” contest promoted by AltaRoma with the assist of Vogue Italia. Brognano’s personal model debuted in Milan in September 2017 and in few seasons, charmed with attention-grabbing volumes and a younger, spontaneous tackle the female look. As reported, a menswear counterpart was added in 2019. The label was finally placed on maintain when Brognano joined Blumarine.

Over the previous 12 months, Blumarine moreover solid ties with different manufacturers and retailers on particular capsule collections, together with the likes of Heaven by Marc Jacobs, Japanese shoe model Suicoke and, most just lately, Italian luxurious retailer Modes.

Marchi acquired the Gruppo Blufin and its manufacturers Blumarine, Blugirl, Anna Molinari and Be Blumarine from the founding Tarabini household in November 2019. The deal carefully adopted an acquisition by Eccellenze Italiane of a 15 % stake in Italian retailer Coin SpA.

The creation of the Eccellenze Italiane conglomerate goals to spice up the visibility and enterprise of small and medium-sized Italian corporations on the worldwide scene, and in 2019, forward of the COVID-19 pandemic, Marchi mentioned the ultimate objective for the group was an preliminary public providing. Marchi can also be the founder of latest label Liu Jo, the place he employed Moncler SpA alum Paola Durante as basic supervisor, instructed a renewed curiosity to go public. Marchi had initially deliberate a list of Liu Jo in 2018, a venture that the entrepreneur has mentioned was postponed due to unfavorable market circumstances.