No more Y2K? Creative director Nicola Brognano leaves Blumarine

Designer Nicola Brognano is leaving Blumarine. The Italian luxury label and its outgoing creative director announced the surprising departure in a joint statement on Thursday.

Brognano was appointed creative director of Blumarine at the end of 2019 to breathe new life into the fashion house.

His appointment followed the takeover of Blumarine’s former parent company by luxury goods group Eccellenze Italiane Holding (EIH), which was founded by Liu Jo CEO Marco Marchi. The Liu Jo label is also part of EIH’s portfolio.

Commenting on the news in a statement, Marchi said: “Nicola has successfully interpreted Blumarine’s DNA, presenting it in an original and contemporary key and thus reviving sector and customer interest in the brand.

“I offer Nicola warm thanks for the high levels of professionalism he has demonstrated in the four years of this fruitful collaboration.”

Brognano, who was tasked with revitalizing the brand when he joined, has done so with plenty of Y2K references and, at least visually, brought the label back to its early 2000s heyday.

In the short joint statement, no reasons were given for the sudden departure of the designer, who recently presented his latest collection at Milan Fashion Week.

Brognano: A celebration of Y2K fashion

The designer remained true to his early 2000s style for the SS24 collection, which will now likely be his final collection for the Italian fashion house.

Tube tops and low-slung trousers met micro-minis and wrap dresses so sheer they left little to the imagination, and the butterfly motif that has become his trademark in recent years was also present - albeit in the shape of skimpy underwear.

To top it all off, he chose angel wings that harken back to the glory days of Victoria's Secrets and are a heavenly blend of self-indulgence and Y2K.

“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,” Brognano said.

He continued: “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.”

After graduating from Milan's Marangoni Institute, a stint at Giambattista Valli, and founding his eponymous label, with which he won Vogue Italia and Altaroma's "Who is on Next" competition in 2016, Brognano moved to Blumarine at the end of 2019.

Where his journey will take him now is unclear, but there is already speculation on social media about a move to one of the major French luxury fashion houses.

This article was originally published on FashionUnited.DE before being translated and edited.