Walter Chiapponi is the New Creative Director of Blumarine

Rumors have been circulating for a few weeks, now it's official. Walter Chiapponi is now the new creative director of Blumarine. Announced on Tuesday, the former Tod's creative succeeds Nicola Brognano, who left the position in the middle of October. Chiapponi will unveil his first collection for Blumarine during Milan Fashion Week in February 2024.

The Milanese designer, after studying at Istituto Europeo di Design (IED), made his fashion debut under the guidance of Alessandro Dell'Acqua in the late '90s and subsequently collaborated with some of the most famous brands in the fashion system. This includes Givenchy, Valentino, Gucci, Miu Miu, and Bottega Veneta, before taking the creative helm at Tod's from 2019 to 2023. He exited his position earlier this year, with his final collection at Milan Fashion Week in September.

"I am sure that Walter Chiapponi, with his internationally recognized talent and the profound stylistic sensitivity that distinguishes him, will be able to give new energy to Blumarine, while at the same time showing respect for the extraordinary heritage of the brand. I am proud to be able to write together with Walter a new and significant chapter", Marco Marchi, sole director of Blumarine's parent company Eccellenze Italiane, said in a statement.

"I am pleased to have been appointed creative director of an iconic Italian brand that has outlined over time a concept of femininity characterized by lightness and creativity. Being able to contribute to the construction of a new phase of Blumarine is for me the opportunity to embrace new, exciting, and significant horizons, expand my vision, and restore meaning to artistic expressiveness", commented Walter Chiapponi.