MILAN – A latest collection, a rebranding and a series of collaborations are to mark the anniversary celebrations of Blazé Milano, the label launched in 2013 by Corrada Rodriguez d’Acri, Delfina Pinardi and Maria Sole Torlonia.

Best known for its well-cut blazer jackets defined by the signature half-moon shaped Smiley pockets which have turn out to be a byword for nonchalance coolness, over the past decade the brand has expanded to encompass different product categories comparable to knitwear and denim; added made-to-order and bridal lines, and tiptoed into accessories tie-ups, all of the while gaining popularity amongst international style icons and “It” girls with its discreet and chic aesthetic. Over time, personalities donning Blazé Milano pieces have included Jessica Chastain, Julia Roberts, Kristen Stewart, Emma Stone, Chrissy Teigen, Charlotte Casiraghi, Alexa Chung and Caroline De Maigret, to call just a few.

To mark the brand’s first decade in business and open the following chapter, the founders decided to smooth the linear font that has to this point defined its labeling and add a latest emblem to represent the corporate. Designed by the trio in collaboration with the Paris-based creative agency MaisonNue, a seahorse logo was picked because the embodiment of two great passions of the founders: horseback riding and sailing.

The brand new graphic will pop up in some elements of the brand new collection Blazé Milano will unveil during Milan Fashion Week on Wednesday, appearing on metallic buttons, embroideries and in the liner of the brand’s newest jackets.

A preview of the autumn 2023 collection revealed that the lineup will reflect the celebratory mood of the founders, as it’s going to bank on nocturnal glam with sparkling decorations and an overall ’80s feel.

A firework pattern in dazzling rhinestones stood out on black velvet blazer jackets with matching baggy pants, while embroidered sequins resulted in a shimmering texture in one other style to layer over a sparkling bra. To further amplify the party vibe, multicolored bouclé fabric with metallic threads was cut in a flowery bolero jacket with velvet trim, while cascades of fringes added movement to blazers and long skirts. Other highlights saw the trio’s sartorial skills shine in outerwear, including a double-breasted coat in fire red that oozed a sensual, feminine energy even in its oversized proportions.

“Our goal continues to be communicating a life-style of a certain type: elegant and refined, but at the identical time tinged with spontaneity and authenticity. We now have all the time loved to represent through our garments a cool, strong woman who knows what she wants,” said Torlonia.

“There has obviously been an evolution over time because our life has modified and we would like to feel an increasing number of comfortable in the garments we wear,” echoed Rodriguez d’Acri. “We now have introduced latest models and injected the Blazé aesthetic in other areas, but we remain faithful to our origins and values,” she added, underscoring that today’s bestsellers are still the primary three styles the trio designed. These are the “On a regular basis” double-breasted blazer jacket; the “Weekend” oversize style, and the “Midnight Smoking” tuxedo jacket.

All three items were created in a small tailor’s shop in Milan, after Torlonia and Rodriguez d’Acri considered launching a project together and involving Pinardi, who on the time was returning to Italy after working in Recent York.

Committed to make the blazer jacket the place to begin of their enterprise, the founders opted for a word with a French sound to evoke that fierce and chic attitude they intended to channel and introduced the Smiley pocket as a particular detail.

“We took inspiration by a recurring element in Twenties fashion, that arched shape,” said Pinardi. “Those curved lines, that had a female and seductive touch, gave the impression of an interesting addition for our blazer jackets that winked to the world of men’s tailoring.

“Then the pocket became a signature because of the market’s feedback, which determined its success and made our pieces immediately recognizable. We had originally considered other additional shapes for pockets but that feedback encouraged us to proceed on this direction,” she added.

The brand launched a decade ago with a trunk show staged at the home of Torlonia’s grandmother in Rome. In 2015, the self-financed project landed on the Who’s on Next talent contest promoted by Vogue Italia and Alta Roma, garnering the eye of a jury including Suzy Menkes, Franca Sozzani, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Riccardo Grassi and Beppe Angiolini.

“We imagine the best challenge was to start out from scratch. We had consolidated experience in styling [at Elle Italia] but we had never challenged ourselves as entrepreneurs as much as that moment — much more considering we were betting on an item of clothing that perhaps 10 years ago didn’t draw as much attention in fashion as today,” said Torlonia.

Established with a direct-to-consumer business model, supplemented by the made-to-measure project that’s now available at its ateliers in each Milan and Rome, Blazé Milano launched its first wholesale sales campaign in 2014, collecting orders from international retailers including Net-a-porter, Matchesfashion, Alex Eagle and Beymen.

The brand was represented by the 247 showroom until 2020, when the pandemic encouraged the founders to tweak their approach and convey in-house that a part of the business management, too, in a move that they described because the turning point when it comes to propelling the corporate’s growth.

Last 12 months, Blazé Milano’s revenues were up 70 percent to eight million euros, 41 percent of which were generated outside Europe. Sales within the domestic market accounted for 33 percent of total revenues.

The brand’s managing director Filippo Fani Ciotti highlighted the corporate had a powerful performance in China and is growing within the U.S., where the corporate had a sales campaign for its pre-collections that further propelled the general business.

Going forward, the strategy is to proceed to boost its presence within the American market, in addition to “enter more incisively into the Korean and Japanese ones, as we’re convinced that our product can perform at its best there,” said Fani Ciotti.

Listing one other driver, the chief noticed that the product itself is performing higher “because of an improved internal communication between industrial and elegance departments. Our stockkeeping units also grew, so other product categories beyond blazer jackets are reporting great results.”

The brand is carried at greater than 100 retailers worldwide, including Saks Fifth Avenue, LuisaViaRoma, Mytheresa, Lane Crawford, SKP, Kadewe and Al Tayer, amongst others. The wholesale channel accounted for 80 percent of sales last 12 months, while the label’s own e-commerce generated between 10 percent and 15 percent of total sales. The remaining revenues got here from the physical ateliers of the brand.

In the long run, Fani Ciotti eyes expanding the team and implementing a network of stand-alone stores in key markets. “Our approach is to all the time aim high. In 10 years we would really like to be globally present with our stores, expand product categories and, who knows, also step into lifestyle territory,” he said.

Product-wise, to this point Blazé Milano’s loyal customers’ demand for total looks has resulted within the addition of a denim line; the Club Sportif casual range of T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies and a baseball cap with a retro sporty feel; the Blazé Bride capsule, in addition to a series of collaborations, starting from one with Italian luxury eyewear brand L.G.R. to an eco capsule collection developed with Arizona Muse.

“Opening as much as latest categories was a natural evolution of our journey after just a few years of single-product focus,” said Rodriguez d’Acri, who underscored the founders’ desire “to create an all-round Blazé aesthetic, in an effort to give further coherence to our style, but additionally to satisfy the needs of various personalities and offer latest interpretations to the usage of the blazer, which all the time stays our prime focus.”

This month, Blazé Milano dropped a primary co-branded project with body and hair care specialist Koh-I-Noor, consisting of limited-edition beauty accessories decorated with the brand new seahorse logo.

Aimed toward celebrating self-care and self-love, the collaboration resulted in a concise range that included a soft-bristle brush, a hair comb, a pocket mirror and a hair barrette. Rendered in a burgundy shade, these were all crafted from the historic beauty company’s signature cellulose acetate produced from renewable sources, including plants and cotton waste.