Blumarine’s Spring 2022 Collection Includes Mariah Carey’s Y2K Butterfly Top

Milan Fashion Week is officially underway and on Thursday, Sept. 23, Blumarine returned to the runway to debut designer Nicola Brognano’s Spring 2022 collection, titled “Beat.” Since Brognano joined the Italian fashion house as creative director in late 2019, he’s been pulling plenty of Y2K fashion references to showcase in his collection. His take on the throwback aesthetic seems to be working, too, as Blumarine is already loved by many, including Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, and NYLON cover star Olivia Rodrigo.

“My Blumarine is more dirty, bitchy, sexier,” Brognano told Vogue in an interview in February 2021, noting early-aughts muses Paris Hilton and Britney Spears as inspiration.

This time around, Brognano’s influences were no different. Amidst the silk ruffled blouses, cargo pants, mini skirts, and floral-printed ensembles, Blumarine doubled down on a slew of Y2K fashion trends, including the beloved butterfly motif. In one particular look, a model strutted down the catwalk in a denim butterfly top with matching butterfly-embroidered jeans. The outfit was paired with butterfly belts, a blue handbag, and tinted sunglasses.

The Blumarine look reminded us of another iconic butterfly design worn by Mariah Carey for the VH1 Divas Live concert in 2000. Before her performance, Carey arrived on the red carpet in one of the greatest outfits of all time, wearing a rainbow-sequined butterfly top with low-rise denim jeans (waistband cut off, an important detail to note) and metallic heels.

Of course, designers are inspired by each other, as Carey’s glittery butterfly top was created by French fashion designer Emanuel Ungaro for his Spring 2000 collection. (Aside from Carey, Salma Hayek has worn the recognizable piece, too.) And nothing makes an iconic top without its many dupes, with Carey’s outfit similarly popping up on Saweetie and Olivia Rodrigo, even down to the low-rise jeans. In addition to Ungaro, Versace loved a good butterfly design in the early 2000s, as well. Recently, Dua Lipa attended the 2021 Grammys in a sparkly butterfly dress from Versace, which just so happened to be an ode to Aguilera’s own silver butterfly Versace dress from the 2000 Grammys.

See more Y2K fashion-inspired looks from Blumarine’s Spring 2022 collection, below.