MFW: BLUMARINE PAYS HOMAGE TO JOAN OF ARC

Fall/Winter 2023—which debuted in Milan overnight—was something of a companion piece to that show. Gone were the references to water, replaced with a fiery, barren landscape. Guests walked into a venue that blazed with the light of a giant, commanding ‘B’, which lit up the runway cinematically as models walked.

Brognano was referencing another film that influenced him in his youth, this time Luc Besson’s ’90s cult classic The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc. The film sees Milla Jovovich—a long time Blumarine girl, dating back to the early ’90s—play the French war heroine alongside a formidable cast that includes Faye Dunaway, John Malkovich, and Dustin Hoffman. Joan’s famous uniform, her suit of armour, was referenced by Brognano from the very first look—a skin-hugging lycra dress in shimmery metallic silver.