Brunello Cucinelli turned 70 in September. He organized a grand birthday party in his hometown of Solomeo, where he gathered 600 guests to witness the blowing out of candles on a cake at least a square meter wide. “I wanted to highlight all the people who have supported me throughout my journey,” he said during a preview at his Milan headquarters. “I called it the Dinner of Gratitude.”
Consistent adherence to clear identity principles is what Cucinelli’s ethos is essentially about. He hasn’t wavered from his adherence to what he calls “equilibrium,” a concept so important to him that he named the spring collection after it. Balancing contrasts to achieve a harmonious, ethical middle ground is the basis for the way his company does business and for the timelessness of his style. Quiet luxury was around for him long before it became a recent trend, and he cringed when asked about it. “Fashion has always been about alternating waves of taste. When I started, Jil Sander and Giorgio Armani existed alongside Gianni Versace and Roberto Cavalli,” he said.
The spring collection was an exercise in the ‘a-balance’ that Cucinelli preaches. Sleek, essential, masculine tailoring was warmed up by artisanal specialty pieces called Opere to emphasize their elevated level of craftsmanship. Often handmade, they were the visual highlight of an otherwise calm, elegant offering, played out in the subtle natural tones that are so characteristic of Cucinelli. A highlight of the line-up was a pantsuit in a slightly rough jute fabric, fully embroidered with tonal flowers with sequins and worn over a matching bra.
Throughout the collection, silhouettes were kept neat and elongated, outlined and illuminated with precise ease by metallic accents of liquid silver; Denim pieces also received a discreet glitter shine. Casual chez Cucinelli is always imbued with a certain polish, and breezy informality is treated with a sartorial flair. Cucinelli, who certainly has a way with words, summed it up this way: “It’s custom work with poetic freedom.”
