So far, the Spring/Summer 2027 collections have introduced us to the most whimsical and feminine fashion yet. In New York, it was Sandy Liang; in London, Ashley Williams; and in Milan, the title has been claimed by Blumarine. Serving as an Italian powerhouse of Y2K fashion, Creative Director David Koma finds inspiration this season across the Atlantic in the ingénue culture of California. Ingénue describes a cinematic trope of young women experiencing a coming-of-age moment and living life in a playful, unworldly manner. The collection focuses on expressing sun-kissed Cali girls through ingénue staples, adding a shiny Y2K twist, and tying them together with UGG footwear—the infamous blend of coastal and 2000s aesthetics. Blumarine SS27 brings glamour back into our lives. This is how the brand does it.
When it comes to Y2K fashion, an instantly recognizable aspect is the baseball tee epidemic. For SS27, Blumarine redefines its casual status as chic. For Look 11, this means electrifying the baseball tee with bright pinks, baby blues, and the final touch of a retro Blumarine slogan. It is paired with a layered tulle maxi skirt that acts as an elegant extension of the top, while a transparent strip creates the illusion of a Y2K low-rise skirt. This casual extravagance is also reflected in Look 18, where the slogan baseball tee is presented in soft lilac and butter yellow and paired with a flowing, voluminous periwinkle skirt. In these looks, Blumarine is dying to let us in on a secret: casual pieces like your everyday baseball tee deserve to be amplified into fancy, fitted, pieces rather than worn simply as a last resort.
Speaking of casual, Blumarine also uses the SS27 collection to romanticize the lesser-seen parts of our wardrobes and bring the boudoir out for show. When considering the staples of the ingénue, there is undoubtedly an emphasis on the dainty babydoll dress and a '70s flair in the styling of pieces. For Blumarine, this concept is most prominent in Look 12 and Look 17, which both showcase a new approach to loungewear and sleepwear, whereby every outfit, day or night, is a fabulous one for a Blumarine wearer.
Look 12 incorporates romanticism through the silhouettes of the sleeves and the flounced quality of the bloomers while maintaining intimacy and whimsy through the sheer lace. The blend of turquoise and baby pink also invites color and life into the world of loungewear, emphasizing the importance of making the most of what you wear throughout the day. Look 17 presents a patterned two-piece set consisting of a sheer bra and ruffled retro trousers; despite their extravagance, the softness of the fabrics and chosen colors make them feel comfortable and soothing. Both looks maintain a sense of confidence and individuality that Blumarine is symbolizing through the idea of the ingénue.
As Koma continues this journey of embedding romanticism into the Blumarine narrative, it is also important to consider the gothic looks in this collection, which serve to balance the ingénue character. In the SS27 collection, the most characteristically moody looks are the opening and closing ones, which at first sight seem worlds apart but both instill the same sensation. The show opens with Irina Shayk in Look 1, a layered tulle dress that delivers volume and drama in a deep black color that consumes the viewer.
The sheer paneling on the torso and heavy emphasis on the sleeves instantly evoke dark, gothic literature and subvert stereotypes of the ingénue, revealing more depth to this Blumarine character. The final look therefore embodies a transformation: over the course of several vibrant, playful looks, Look 1 has been stripped back to the pale pink, fitted dress worn by Yasmin Wijnaldum, who closed the show. While Look 40 maintains the softness and floral femininity of the collection, it shares this same gothic quality, conveyed through the skeletal placement of the flowers and the flowing sheer skirt. Much like the collection’s many tulle pieces, Blumarine uses layers to create a one-of-a-kind ingénue character.
Overall, Blumarine carefully carries a narrative that walks us through the many aspects of the ingénue while maintaining its strong Y2K nostalgia throughout. Blumarine uses the ingénue to inspire us to approach Spring/Summer 2027 fashion with a passion for glamour and whimsy, making sure to incorporate them into every outfit of the day, not just those saved for special occasions. What this collection has taught us is that being a Blumarine girl is a lifestyle, not one you can pick and choose, but one you wear wholeheartedly and with whimsy.
