Fri 23rd September
Once an army of beautiful butterflies, Blumarine’s babies have weathered a marine metamorphosis over the course of 2022: that Y2K superstar is a mystical mermaid now. Born from a childhood obsession with The Little Mermaid cartoon, culture-catalysing creative director Nicola Brognano bathed his marine models for SS23 in aquarium-blue light. Like his mother, Ariel was a stylish redhead, so of course Brognano would find himself entirely enchanted by her underwater allure – he wanted to be part of her world.
This season, Brognano he proposed a more sinister twist to his frilly Blumarine uniform. Think shell-shaped bras in oxidised metal, jersey that contoured every curve and subaquatic slinky drapery. The Blumarine girl glided across the aquatic catwalk clad in gothic denim maxi dresses with crucifix fixtures that replaced the Blumarine rose and sheer silk numbers with undulating ruffles that trailed behind her. Wide legged jeans, cargos and maxi skirts were spliced together too, with billowing chiffon to look like fins flowing in the oceanic undercurrents.
Midriffs were the moment where menswear was concerned too, with hip-bone-baring fitted mesh tops and extremely low-slung flared jeans. This was the first time Brognano brought Mermen into the mix and while it was only a small part of the collection it was oh-so-covetable.
Blumarine has always been sexy, but this season it got a leg up in its maturity: less girly, more femme. All Brognano had to do was dip his toe into the ocean.
Photography courtesy of Blumarine.
