The former Tod's designer, Walter Chiapponi, is taking over the role of Nicola Brognano, whose departure was announced last month, and who has held the top creative role since 2020.
Nicola Brognano's collection (Blumarine 2021)
“Working as Blumarine’s creative director, a brand I have always followed with keen interest, has been profoundly enriching on a professional, creative, and personal level. Shining the spotlight once again on the brand has been a unique and thrilling experience. I would like to thank Marco Marchi for this opportunity and my team for the extraordinary work we have done together.” – Brognano said
"I am confident that Walter Chiapponi, with his internationally recognized talent and his stylistic sensibility, will bring new energy to Blumarine while honoring the brand's extraordinary heritage," said Marco Marchi, the sole director of Blumarine which owned by Eccellenze Italiane.
"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" said Chiapponi in a statement.
The Milanese designer, after studying at the European Institute of Design, made his debut in the fashion world in the late 1990s with designer Alessandro Dell’Acqua.
He has since worked for fashion houses including Givenchy, Valentino, Gucci, Miu Miu, Bottega Veneta and, most recently, as creative director at Tod’s.
Walter Chiapponi's collection (Tod's 2023)
Since the fall season, Blumarine has been enriching Spark Le Monde's handpicked collection, featuring iconic pieces like the Heart-Shape Handbag with the signature oversized monogram.
Chiapponi's first collection for Blumarine will be showcased in February at Milan Fashion Week, where we can see Walter Chiapponi's work and how he twists the current fresh essence of the brand.
