David Koma is enjoying a sort of honeymoon moment in Milan, where he now lives part-time, having recently been appointed as the creative director at Blumarine new creative director. At a showroom appointment, he raved about the city. “It’s got such a great vibe,” he enthused. “And it’s so pet-friendly.” Pronto. The pre-fall lookbook featured a coterie of borzois, bull terriers, and Bengali cats, paying tribute also to a ‘90s Helmut Newton photograph of a Blumarine-clad model surrounded by an entourage of canine companions.
Fluffy and furry accents punctuated the collection—tees were emblazoned with “Woof” and “Miao” slogans, and puppies and kittens were strategically embroidered on naughty, barely-there knickers. Blumarine, at its core, has always paired humor with sass, and Koma is reinterpreting this with his own sharp edge. “Blumarine carries a happy energy,” he said. “It has a wide following spanning different generations.” He noticed a similar cross-generational quality to the Milanese street style scene (Koma apparently did his homework, roaming the city quite extensively). “Here the look is young and practical yet classy and elegant, with nods to heritage and tradition, with pieces often updated from the wardrobes of Milanese mammas.”
This multi-generational approach unfolded through what he referred to as “code-switching”: a classic little black dress with trailing lace swirls was reimagined in scuba fabric; a red carpet-worthy gown with a daring side slit was crafted from rugged, raw-edged denim; and a ruched evening minidress, adorned with Blumarine’s signature roses, was made from soft, stretchy viscose rather than the expected chiffon.
“In Milan, business thrives, and it’s impossible to picture a stylish Milanese woman without a good jacket or a crisp sartorial suit,” Koma said. This approach aligns with his flair for neat tailoring, as seen in the standout sleek pantsuits he offered, featuring the Blumarine logo or a rose cut-out finely outlined and integrated within the lapels. Koma’s sculptural hand didn’t overshadow the flirty essence of Blumarine, rather it refined the collection with a luxurious finish. He didn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater either, so to speak, rather nodding at the successful Y2K look championed by his predecessor Nicola Brognano and giving it a more elevated edge. A savvy move, for which Koma deserves some credit.
