Walter Chiapponi Departs Blumarine After One Season
Presenting his first and only collection for the House last month.
After presenting his first and only collection as Creative Director of Blumarine, Walter Chiapponi has announced his exit from the Italian brand.
The Creative Director epidemic has continued into 2024 with no signs of slowing down. Walter Chiapponi is the next one to bite the dust, departing Blumarine after just one season. His unexpected exit was announced in a statement this morning. Marco Marchi, sole administrator of parent company Eccellenze Italiane Holding, kept details under wraps while thanking Chiapponi for his short-lived tenure.
“This experience will remain unique at a special moment in Blumarine’s history. I am grateful to Walter Chiapponi for pouring so much of himself into this collection. It has been an extraordinary adventure. I wish Walter all the best for the continuation of his journey,” Marchi says.
Speaking on his exit, Chiapponi stated: “For me, it was a sort of return to the future in which I focussed all my love and creative passion. My thanks for this experience go first and foremost to Marco Marchi, who made it possible, but also to all those without whom I wouldn’t have been able to express myself as I did. I am especially referring to people I have loved and who are no longer with us, but who continue to instill strong emotions in me, to inspire my feelings and my journey. I now want to concentrate on new initiatives and projects with a social and humanitarian scope before returning at a later date, at the right time, to the catwalk.”
Chiapponi was appointed Creative Director of Blumarine in November 2023, presenting his Fall/Winter 2024 collection at Milan Fashion Week with romantic and feminine visuals. He succeeded Nicola Brognano following his four-year stint at the House, moving into the position guided by his top-tier experience at Tod’s. His inaugural collection strayed away from Brognano’s buzzy Y2K aesthetic, shifting into a more relaxed look that honored Molinari’s original vision.
A clear reason for his exit has not been announced, but Chiapponi has been open about struggling with his nephew’s sudden death last year. He will step back from fashion in the coming months, focusing his efforts on charity work internationally.
