Carolina Cucinelli, vice president and co-creative director of Brunello Cucinelli, spoke about what makes the Italian luxury company unique in a fast-paced industry.
Speaking with Kathy G. Lee, deputy editor of WWD, Cucinelli said she started to work in the company as a tailor in 2010 although during her childhood, she thought of doing doing something with art. In the first two years, she spent her time at the machine, and then she joined the production and design team. It was a chance to see every division of the company. “It was a beautiful time to spend time with my father, Brunello, and my sister,” she said.
Founded in 1978, the company has grown into a multibillion-dollar company. Cucinelli oversees brand image, communications, accessories, red carpet collections and digital strategy.
“It’s a journey, it’s not always easy to work with your family. It’s very important to find the right balance.…My sister is very focused on the design.…I’m a little more artistic,” she said.
As a highly creative person, she was asked how she found and developed her own voice. “The first years I spent the time just to listen, to listen to my father and people around me and try to understand the point of evolution,” she said. She said she tried to bring something that’s hers to the company. After 10 years, she started to evolve the vision, the philosophy and the story they wanted to tell.
Based in the countryside of Umbria, the company is 68 percent women, and many are artisans. They start at 8 a.m., and they have a lunch break from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., and at 5:30 p.m., everybody goes home and takes time for their family. “It’s very important to create a great balance,” she said.
Cucinelli said they look for gentle growth. For the six months ended June 30, the company’s net profit climbed 16 percent to more than 76.7 million euros. Revenues rose 10.2 percent to 684.1 million euros, compared with 620.6 million euros in the same period last year. She said the idea is to grow 10 percent every year. After the pandemic it was a difficult moment for everyone, and they tried to support their employees with salary.
Every single item is made in Umbria. They work with 8,000 artisans every day, and everything is made by hand with the best quality materials.
Cucinelli’s focus has been to attract the next generation of customers to the company and embrace technology. In 2017, they started to sell online and work with social media. They tried to tell their story in a different way. “We have this little hamlet, Solomeo, where 800 people live,” she said. The company has a Brunello Cucinelli school, which is a specialized school in Solomeo, Italy, dedicated to preserving and teaching traditional Italian craftsmanship to pass on to future generations. It also serves as a center for culture and art within the Fortum of the Arts, alongside a library, amphitheater, and theater.
“It’s very important to have an impact on the next generation,” she said. At the school, they work in the company for six hours, and at the end of their schooling, they can work at the company.
She noted that the family has a foundation that supports art and culture, the public school and hospital. and the restoration of important monuments in Italy and outside Italy.
Cucinelli was asked how she resists chasing the business and the fast pace, and how they stay true to the essence of the brand. “You are encouraged to buy less but buy better,” she said. She believes in buying things you can use and pass to another generation at some point.
As for her thoughts on power dressing, and how does that apply to women?
“Of course, business is very masculine. I started in the company at 19 years old and the daughter of Mr. Brunello and I had a baby quite young. When you sit at the table and you find many men, they look at you like you’re a baby and they don’t trust you. At the beginning it was very sad for me. But you need to push and focus, and everyone of us has the chance to show to the people what we are.”
Asked what she wears when she wants to feel confident? “A suit, always,” she said.