Discover Brunello Cucinelli’s latest collection – a celebration of craftsmanship and cutting-edge design

It’s common practice, when discussing fashion houses, to namecheck where they are based, but no label boasts the same sense of place as Italian lifestyle brand Brunello Cucinelli. Founded in 1978 in the Italian hillside town of Solomeo, on the bucolic outskirts of Perugia, Brunello Cucinelli has grown from a humble cashmere house to a luxury juggernaut with global reach. However, this family-owned label has never lost sight of where it came from. In fact, as the label has flourished, so too has the town. To celebrate the house’s 44th birthday, as well as the launch of its exquisite SS22 collection, co-president and co-creative director Carolina Cucinelli invites PORTER to the discover the heart and soul of Solomeo – and, by extension, Brunello Cucinelli.

Brunello Cucinelli was born in the Umbrian countryside, so reviving his hometown – one of innumerable picturesque hamlets across the country that boast centuries-old stone buildings but which are, sadly, slowly dying – was a mission very close to his heart. This sense of responsibility and community is integral to his eponymous house’s DNA. As his daughter and business partner, Carolina, explains, “the ethos of Brunello Cucinelli is respect, for people, for nature and for craftsmanship”. If you think this is mere rhetoric, think again. Purchasing the town’s ruined castle, which he turned into the company headquarters, in 1982, was the beginning of a regeneration project that is ongoing to this very day. And if the sartorial patriarch really is preparing to hand the reigns over to the next generation, it’s clear he has made sure to impart the importance of Solomeo to the brand.

Carolina, who grew up in the close-knit community of Solomeo, running along the cobble stone streets between the family home and the myriad buildings that make up the company headquarters, sees the town as central to the house’s DNA and purpose. “I’ve spent a lot of time traveling around the world, but Solomeo is where my soul lives. We all know each other, and we all help each other. When you buy a piece from Brunello Cucinelli, you invest in Solomeo, in our artisans, in our story. We’re not just a fashion house”.

This season, as ever, the collection combines time-honored craft with cutting-edge technique. The result? Romantic pieces that feel utterly fresh yet are also imbued with a sense of timelessness that ensures these luxe designs will be worn year after year – and even passed down to future generations. Heritage is, after all, something that is front of mind for Carolina when it comes to creating every collection. “I love the idea of creating pieces someone will buy today for someone to wear in the future”.