Brunello Cucinelli, high-end cashmere.
Elegant yet understated, the Cucinelli wardrobe has a reputation for its coats and cashmere knits. The remarkable quality of the pieces and the exceptional artisanal know-how that goes into producing them have enabled the brand to distinguish itself and make its mark as a key reference in Italian cashmere.
From the Umbrian countryside to the catwalk.
To learn more about the origins of the luxury brand Brunello Cucinelli, we need to travel to the medieval village of Solomeo, in the Italian region of Umbria. The son of a farmer, Brunello Cucinelli made his foray into the world of entrepreneurship in 1978. Inspired by the success achieved by Luciano Benetton with brightly-coloured wool sweaters, he decided to launch his own line of sweaters, but made of cashmere, sensing the market held enormous potential. The entrepreneur achieved success thanks to the exceptional quality of his collections, the contemporary designs of his products and his unique choice of colourways. Cucinelli cashmere became an unmissable feature of the world of knitwear. In 1985, Brunello Cucinelli bought the castle in Solomeo and moved his offices to the small medieval village, where over 800 employees still work today.
The Italian brand is famous for its luxury cashmere knitwear, but the Brunello Cucinelli wardrobe has diversified over the years and now offers a full range of ready-to-wear for men and women, together with accessories, bags and footwear. Cucinelli leather goods come in a multitude of versions, formats and styles, but the small leather crossbody saddlebag probably remains the line's signature design.
A humanist entrepreneur.
Brunello Cucinelli has been enormously successful, but he has never forgotten where he came from and enjoys the reputation of being a humanist and a socially responsible boss and entrepreneur. He considers the working conditions of his employees as being an absolute priority and believes that to be able to create truly exceptional products, his staff must feel a sense of wellbeing in the workplace. The irreproachable confection of the products, combined with the outstanding ethical stance taken by the company has turned Brunello Cucinelli into a flourishing enterprise with a human face. Today, the sophisticated lines of luxury ready-to-wear and accessories are sold throughout the globe, but Brunello Cucinelli is no less of a philanthropist and remains loyal to the values which made his company such a success on economic and human levels.
Also known as the "prince of cashmere", Brunello Cucinelli has made an impression these last few decades with classic knits which are incredibly comfortable, high-quality garments, coming in a wide range of shapes and colourways. It is worth remembering, however, that other iconic pieces have also had a role to play in the renown achieved by the Italian brand: