It might not shout about itself, but among the world’s most influential people, Brunello Cucinelli is everywhere. Its co-chairman and co-creative director Carolina Cucinelli tells us why its high-end ubiquity is built on its rock-solid values
A two-word phrase tends to haunt any discussion of Italian luxury fashion brand Brunello Cucinelli. A favourite of celebrities and the Silicon Valley set alike—its very long list of fans includes Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck, Sylvester Stallone, Gisele Bündchen, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and Reid Hoffman—Cucinelli is known for extremely high-quality materials and craftsmanship, and a distinct lack of flash—or, indeed, any form of obvious branding. It is, in other words, the very embodiment of quiet luxury.
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That’s not quite how the brand’s co-chairman and co-creative director Carolina Cucinelli sees it, though.
“We see our garments as an expression of the highest quality and excellence in craftsmanship, with a strong reference to the brand’s DNA,” she says. “So I wouldn’t talk so much about ‘quiet luxury’ but more of ‘gentle luxury’: ours is not a whispered or understated way of dressing; it is a rather distinct and straightforward approach but, above all, gentle. The collections always revolve around this core principle: they must be recognisable and distinctive; they must speak of the brand and its philosophy without being intrusive.”
Cucinelli’s father Brunello started the fashion brand in 1978, specialising first in high-quality dyed cashmere pullovers for women (Photo: Brunello Cucinelli)
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Brunello Cucinelli was established by its eponymous founder, Carolina’s father, in 1978, dropping out of his engineering studies to do so after seeing a gap in the market for high-quality women’s dyed cashmere pullovers. The brand focused solely on knitwear until the turn of the millennium when it moved into suits, coats and more after clients started to ask for more complete looks.
Carolina initially only joined the company for a year, more or less out of curiosity. She’s still there 14 years later. In fact, it’s very much a family affair: her sister, Camilla, is co-head of womenswear; Carolina’s husband, Alessio Piastrelli, is creative director of menswear; and Camilla’s husband, Riccardo Stefanelli, is CEO.
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That tight-knit family control makes the question of innovation at the company an interesting one. While Carolina has pioneered a range of innovations, from its eyewear joint ventures with Oliver Peoples and Luxottica to the launch of the inaugural Brunello Cucinelli Fragrance, she is keenly aware of the need to balance this with respect for the organisation’s values and traditions.
“Innovation for me means being able to look ahead fully aware of who we are, what our background is and trying to evolve while remaining true to our identity,” she says. “Another fundamental element for me is passion: we must nurture and preserve it, maintain our creative being. Innovation is a combination of a company’s DNA and a forward-looking perspective, and this has been—and still—is the principle we follow every time we start a new project.”
