T-shirts featuring cats with studded collars, piercing rings alongside silvery sequins on a silk wrap skirt, denim briefs bordered with rings and metal charms, and even a printed kitten superciliously staring from the front of a skinny pair of panties: Blumarine has undergone quite a reboot, refreshed by the iconoclastic hand of new creative director David Koma.

Koma, Georgia-born and London-based, took charge of style last summer at the Italian luxury label, owned since 2019 by the Exelite (ex-Eccellenze Italiane) holding company of Liu Jo’s founder and boss, Marco Marchi. Koma was a last-minute replacement for Walter Chiapponi, who left hastily after just one season. Ahead of his first show with Blumarine, scheduled on February 27 in Milan, Koma has provided a taste of the direction he intends to give the label, by unveiling the fall 2025 pre-collection.

The first impression is that Blumarine, renowned for its opulent romanticism, has been given an energy boost. A series of slinky, sexy long dresses in silk and chiffon, lace nighties and ruffled crepe dresses sporting Blumarine’s typical floral and animal-print motifs, featured alongside zesty items with a younger vibe, ideal for everyday wear like the jeans, plain or distressed, the black leather jacket-and-trousers set, and the sleek white suit, for that businesswoman look.

“It’s a first glimpse of my work, a pre-collection in which I focused on the product. For me, it’s important to elevate product quality. Blumarine stands for affordable but quality luxury. Everything is made in Italy. We want to remain in a high-end luxury segment with all our categories, including our everyday wardrobe,” said Koma, speaking to FashionNetwork.com at Blumarine’s Milanese showroom.

“I’ve tapped the label’s signature elements, reinterpreting them in a contemporary way. I thought about a multi-generational wardrobe, targeting both mothers and daughters, and I blended everything with my own style,” said Koma, who now lives and works between London and Milan, where he has been visiting all sorts of neighbourhoods, gradually discovering the city’s many facets. “The more you live in this city, the more you fall in love with it,” he added.

Koma owns a small Pinscher dog named Ruby, and was surprised at how welcoming Milan is to pets and their owners. This gave him the idea of introducing an animal theme in the collection, especially since one of Helmut Newton’s most striking campaigns for Blumarine, dating back to the 1990s, depicted several women with their dogs.

He has sprinkled meows and woofs with abandon across the collection, in prints with the same lettering of the label’s logo, and did the same on the jewellery, while the T-shirts sported silhouettes of giant cats. Koma even created a crystal-studded leather sleeve bracelet to hold the pets’ poo bags. An item both attractive and practical. “I thought it was fun to play with this image. Generally speaking, Blumarine girls don’t take themselves too seriously, though they can be very stylish. There’s always an element of cheerful amusement,” said Koma.

His sometimes rather provocative humour runs through this collection, where East London meets Milan. For example, the khaki trousers with a utilitarian vibe, yet bordered with lace garlands. The openwork bra embroidered at chest height on sensible little turtle-neck sweaters. And the candy pink fur enhancing the collar of a denim jacket or the edges of a shearling handbag.