Blufin S.p.A. is an Italian
fashion house
Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction, and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by diverse cultures and different trends and has varied over time and place. "A fashion design ...
founded by Anna Molinari and her late husband Gianpaolo Tarabini. The core brand is Blumarine, which they started in 1977, followed by Miss Blumarine (1987, 8- to 14-year-old girls), Blugirl (1995, for teenagers) and Anna Molinari (1995),
which is being repositioned as their luxury brand.
[ ]
History

Blumarine was established by Anna Molinari and Gianpaolo Tarabini in 1977, in the town of
Carpi in the
province of Modena
The province of Modena () is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Modena.
It has an area of and a total population of about 701,000 (2015). There are 48 ''comuni'' (: ''comune'') in th ...
. The name was inspired by the couple's favourite colour and their love of the sea.
In 1980 they made their first appearance at
Modit in
Milan
Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
,
where Blumarine was named Designer of the Year, which led to their first show at
Milan Fashion Week
Milan Fashion Week () is a clothing trade show held semi-annually in Milan, Italy. Upcoming autumn/winter fashions are showcased in February/March of each year, and upcoming spring/summer fashions are showcased in September/October of each year ...
the following year.
The 1986 Milan Fashion Week saw the first collection wholly designed by Anna Molinari.
As the brand took off and they started to license it to other companies, Blufin was set up in 1988 to act as a holding company.
By 2006 royalties accounted for €5.5m of their income.
The first Blumarine boutique was opened in the
Via della Spiga
Via della Spiga (; literally "Alley of the Ear") is one of the Italian city of Milan's top shopping streets, forming the north-east boundary of the luxurious ''Quadrilatero della Moda'' (literally, "fashion quadrilateral"), along with Via Monte Na ...
, Milan in 1990;
the company now sells at more than 1000 retail outlets, of which 55 are own-brand boutiques.
In July 2011 the company collection was presented at the catwalk of
The Brandery fashion show in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
.
Brands
The core brand is Blumarine, which has also been licensed to other companies in the fields of lingerie, accessories,
wristwatches, homeware and so on; the perfume licence is held by ICR-ITF.
In 2007, the company announced that it would be bringing bags and small leather accessories in-house, with a dedicated display area in the Milan shop at Via Montenapoleone 20.
A major international expansion of Blumarine boutiques was then also planned, particularly in the Middle East and Asia.
The same is true of the Blugirl brand for young women, launched in 1995 and shown in the Milan international fashion shows since 2002.
Dedicated boutiques have been opened in Rome, Milan, Naples, Paris, Kyiv, Kyoto, Nagoya, Taipei, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing, and Seoul.
Blugirl Folies is a brand launched in the market in 2007, aimed at younger teenage girls, integrating the Blugirl line.
The Anna Molinari brand is the Blufin brand specialized in the field of
pret à porter and luxury clothing, designed from 1995 to 2004 by the daughter of the founder Rossella Tarabini.
In February 2015, the company launched a male fashion line, Blu Sport, at Milan Fashion Week.
For its advertising campaigns, the company has been working with several high-profile photographers, including
Albert Watson (1990),
Helmut Newton
Helmut Newton (né Neustädter; 31 October 192023 January 2004) was a German-Australian photographer. The ''The New York Times, New York Times'' described him as a "prolific, widely imitated fashion photographer whose provocative, erotically ch ...
(1993–1995),
Michel Comte (1997),
Ellen von Unwerth
Ellen von Unwerth (born 1954) is a German photographer. She began her career as a fashion model, before becoming a fashion, editorial, and advertising photographer.
Early life and education
Unwerth was born in Frankfurt, West Germany. As an or ...
(1997),
Paolo Roversi
Paolo Roversi (born September 25, 1947) is an Italian-born fashion photographer who lives and works in Paris.
Early life
Born in Ravenna on September 25, 1947, Paolo Roversi's interest in photography was kindled as a teenager during a family v ...
(1997–1998),
Tim Walker
Timothy Walker HonFRPS (born 1970) is a British fashion photographer who regularly works for '' Vogue'', '' W'' and ''Love'' magazines. He is based in London.
Life and career
Walker was born in England in 1970. His interest in photography beg ...
(2001–2003),
Terry Richardson
Terrence Richardson (born August 14, 1965) is an American former fashion and portrait photographer. He has shot advertising campaigns for Marc Jacobs, Aldo, Supreme, Sisley, Tom Ford, and Yves Saint Laurent among others, and also done work ...
(2001–2002),
Craig McDean
Craig McDean (born 1964 in England) is a British fashion photographer, originally from Middlewich, now based in New York City.
Life
McDean originally trained and worked as a car mechanic before studying photography at Mid Cheshire College (OND ...
and
Pamela Hanson.
Personal life
Anna Molinari has received many awards, of which the most notable are perhaps the Isimbardi Fashion Award in 2001, and a La Kore Fashion Oscar ion 2003. She has also been involved with many charities, such as the Italian
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass, micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue leading to more porous bone, and consequent increase in Bone fracture, fracture risk.
It is the most common reason f ...
League and the rehabilitation of prisoners. Creative director of the Blumarine and Blugirl brands, Anna Molinari is nicknamed queen of roses, due to her love for these magical and sensual flowers.
As mentioned above, the couple's daughter Rossella is a designer for the company. Her brother Gianguido Tarabini joined the company in 1992, became Director of Licensing in 2004, and since the death of his father in 2006 has been the CEO in charge of all the company's commercial affairs and responsible for the Hotel Touring owned directly by his mother, separately from Blufin.
[ ]
See also
*
Italian fashion
Italy is one of the leading countries in fashion design, alongside France and the United Kingdom. Fashion has always been an important part of the country's cultural life and society, and Italians are well known for their attention to dress; ''la ...
*
Made in Italy
Made in Italy is a merchandise mark indicating that a product is all planned, manufactured and packed in Italy, especially concerning the Italian design, design, Italian fashion, fashion, Italian cuisine, food, manufacturing, craftsmanship, and ...
Notes and references
External links
*{{fashiondesigner, id=anna-molinari, name=Anna Molinari
Clothing companies established in 1977
Clothing brands of Italy
Watch manufacturing companies of Italy
Italian suit makers