The man behind the brand: Brunello Cucinelli is driven by 'humanistic capitalism'
Brunello Cucinelli is a self-made man.
The international fashion icon designs classical clothing made to be worn with effortless style. Fans include Prince William, Daniel Craig, Jeff Bezos, Jessica Alba and Blake Lively.
The brand has lots of aficionados in Palm Beach, where the Worth Avenue location will be celebrating its seventh year in January.
The company is headquartered in Solomeo, Italy, a hamlet on a hill between Florence and Rome.
Cucinelli has invested millions in restoring and beautifying the village and its surroundings. In 1982, he bought a ruined castle and turned it into a state-of-the art facility housing his offices and workrooms. Other projects include a 14th century castle turned into a school to preserve the traditions and crafts of the village, a church, a winery and a theater. He subscribes to the practice of “humanistic capitalism” — reinvesting company profits back into the community.
Cucinelli’s odyssey began back in the 1970s. At 25, the engineering school dropout borrowed $550 and purchased enough cashmere for local artisans to spin and knit five sample sweaters. He dyed them in a rainbow of neon colors and took the samples to local shops. Within three months, 400 sweaters had been sold.
He took his company public in 2012, listing the shares on the Italian stock exchange. In 2020, revenues were $640 million.
Cucinelli’s experiences growing up on a farm have shaped his way of living and doing business. “I am very attached to my farming roots, which I’m very proud of. We lived in the country, and we didn’t lack anything, even though we didn’t have electricity and it was the sun and the stars that punctuated our days of work in the fields and gave us valuable guidance,” he said in an email from Italy.
“My father then went to work in a factory and experienced humiliation. I would see him come home with tears in his eyes and I couldn’t accept the idea that a human being could be belittled at work, so I told myself that in life I would do anything to support the moral and economic dignity of workers.
''Federica, who was then my fiancée and ran a small shop in Solomeo, inspired me to develop an interest in clothing. I then imagined that cashmere could be the right way ahead because I wanted a raw material of the highest quality to make refined and exceptionally durable garments.”
There is no minor detail in the clothing produced, he said, noting that it begins with the fiber. Cucinelli credits Cariaggi, an Italian yarn company, for many of his signature fabrics.
“I hold the Cariaggi company in high regard for the work they do and how they do it. They are highly specialized in cashmere yarn. They source the raw materials, the actual cashmere as well as dealing with the entire spinning and dying process,” he said.
Blends of cashmere, silk, polyamide and elastane create clothing that is fluid, tracks the movement of the body for comfort and holds its shape. Knits from the women’s collection include cashmere blends with filaments of threads sprinkled with tiny sequins that give depth and light to the garments.
Cariaggi yarns include cashmere from Inner Mongolia, Merino wool, camel hair, silk and other luxury fibers. The company has adopted the Ethical Yarn Evolution program and its aim is an inclusive sustainability — caring for the environment, social interest, human activity and animal welfare.
Cucinelli’s clothes are ageless and he likes the idea that a garment can be handed down from grandmother to granddaughter, maintaining its fabric characteristics and colors. "For us, the element of consistency between the quality of the raw material, the genius that is creatively expressed in the design of a garment and the high level of craftsmanship involved is very important," he said.
The 2021-2022 collections
Casual chic is this year’s style. It is relaxed and informal without being defined by specific occasions.
This season features clear, bright tones tinged with pastels: Winter white, cream, nuances of gray, delicate beiges and golden browns are used for outerwear, blazers, slacks and knits.
Footwear includes warm mules and shearling-lined runners. Lightweight boots make great travel companions and feminine chunky versions with rubber soles come in an array of neutral tones.
A section of the shop houses the Neverending Stories project. It is made up of classical men’s and women’s sweaters and cardigans in cashmere and yarn blends in the brand’s iconic colors of neutral beiges, grays, whites and blacks that are meant to be enjoyed now and passed down from generation to generation.
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IF YOU GO
Brunello Cucinelli
216 Worth Ave.
561-671-5977
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Brunello Cucinelli Palm Beach store offers classical clothing
