Blumarine does masculine! How this can possibly be? No worries: There was no mutation at work in the brand’s chromosomes. Its DNA remains firmly in place—we’re not going to see a Blumarine breed of minimalist, cutting-edge dark creatures anytime soon. It’s just that for Pre-Fall, this hyper-feminine species was hybridized with a gentle touch of mannish flair. There was no genderless parlance here: Girls are girls, and Anna Molinari, the label’s cofounder, owner, and creative director, still loves them at their most frilly, ultra-girly, and sweeter-than-sweetest.
Molinari has a thing for roses, lace, embellishments, mink, the color pink—definitely nothing testosterone driven. A flirty, bubbly, petite dynamo, she’s the miniature embodiment of all things Blumarine. “I’m a romantic and always will be,” she declared, swathed in a blond sable coat that matched her curls. “But this season I wanted to give a more modern, urban attitude to the collection, focusing on daywear.” She pointed out tailored chevron tweed car coats, generously cut parkas in thick herringbone wool or flannel, and robe de chambre–inspired dusters in wool jacquard. Those pieces conveyed a masculine vibe, although they were embroidered with romantic floral motifs of irises and dahlias. Molinari couldn’t help infusing the lineup with her sense of sensual optimism. Case in point was a long black masculine coat in sumptuous double cashmere, streamlined and precisely tailored; worn with ripped cropped jeans with high studded cuffs and a simple sweater, it had a very chic, modern allure and looked assertive enough. Yet it was trimmed in voluptuous mink and paired with kitten heels: Blumarine’s genes are certainly powerful.
