David Koma is taking on the creative director role at Blumarine and his first collection for the Italian brand will bow for pre-fall 2025. Blumarine does not appear on the preliminary Milan Fashion Week schedule, running Sept. 17-23.
The Georgian-born designer is marking his namesake brand’s 15th anniversary this year, and has garnered additional attention with his first ad campaign for resort 2025, which features Madonna’s musician daughter, Lourdes Leon.
Fans of his sculptural silhouettes and bold, sensual cocktail dresses and gowns include Jennifer Lopez, Olivia Rodrigo and Gal Gadot, among others.
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While attending Comic-Con in San Diego in July, Florence Pugh wore a David Koma t-shirt minidress from the resort 2025 collection. It featured a bedazzled buckle and floor-length train. The actress was attending a Marvel Studios panel for her upcoming film “Thunderbolts,” which is scheduled for release in 2025.
Koma launched his London-based fashion house in 2009, after completing his studies at Central Saint Martins College, and has been a participant of London Fashion Week ever since.
In April, he launched a swimwear brand called Let’s Swim, a venture with new partners and one of his childhood friends. It operates separately from his eponymous label.
In the summer of 2023, Koma created a few looks for Beyoncé’s “Renaissance World Tour.”
“David Koma’s aesthetic captured me from the beginning. I am sure that David will be able to interpret Blumarine’s codes to perfection, thanks to his vision and stylistic sensitivity, characterized by an overwhelming femininity,” said Marco Marchi, sole director of Exelite, the holding company previously called Eccellenze Italiane, that owns Blumarine.
Koma succeeds Walter Chiapponi, who exited Blumarine after only one collection in March. Before Chiapponi, the brand was designed by Nicola Brognano for four years.
“Blumarine embodies a unique blend of sensuality, timeless glamour and elegance that I always admired, and it is an honor to be able to write the next chapter in the brand’s illustrious history,” said Koma.
“I am excited to celebrate Blumarine’s rich, creative heritage while infusing it with my own modern vision. The brand’s feminine aesthetic deeply resonates with me, making this journey feel incredibly authentic. I am eager to craft collections that inspire and captivate our audience, ushering in an exciting new era of innovation and creativity at this esteemed house.”
Marchi acquired the Gruppo Blufin and its brands Blumarine, Blugirl, Anna Molinari and Be Blumarine from the founding Tarabini family in November 2019.
The creation of the Eccellenze Italiane conglomerate aimed to boost the visibility and business of small and medium-sized Italian companies on the global scene. In 2019, ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic, Marchi said the ultimate goal for the group was an initial public offering.
Marchi is also the founder of contemporary label Liu Jo.
