Behind the Seams with Brunello Cucinelli
This was probably one of the most memorable and amazing experiences of my life!
I got the opportunity to visit Brunello Cucinelli’s home, winery and official headquarters in Solomeo, Italy. First off let me tell you guys about this small town. It is about 2 hours outside of Florence and the Cucinelli team was kind enough to send a driver to come pick us up and take us to the town. As soon as we got there our guide we met our guide, Francisco, who took us around the factory and town giving us so much insight into the brand’s beliefs, process, and history.
Solomeo is actually where Brunello met his wife growing up, and this is where the brand was created. He still lives here with his entire family as he continues to design and create.
Fun fact, did you know Cucinelli hates the color green since he got a pair of green velvet pants from his mother as a child? He buried them so he never had to wear them—which I found hilarious.
The one thing that stood out to me the most about the Cucinelli brand is the company's morals of community/family and how important it is for his employees to feel treated well. We learned how Brunello actually grew up quite poor and he saw how his father was treated so poorly when working that he vowed when creating his brand he would NEVER treat any of the people who work for him that way.
Being at the factory/headquarters and seeing the designers working was such an unreal experience. You really get to see the craftsmanship and how detailed each designer is with the garments, making sure everything is as perfect as can be. To them, it is essential that their customers receive the highest quality products from Cucinelli as possible.
We all know the prices of Cucinelli garments are quite steep… but after this experience, as a client, you really grasp the reasoning for their pricing. It is not some rip-off, nepo baby product that was made just because they wanted to be trendy, but this company has a soul. It’s rich with history, love, and care that is not replicable in most fashion companies today.
Everything Brunello created/is creating stems from his love of nature as he pulls inspiration from Solomeo and what he reads in books. The town of Solomeo is so beautiful, and visiting it makes you understand how one would easily be constantly inspired to create.
It’s just funny to me that a man who pulls most of his inspiration for his designs from nature hates the color green. Especially because of all the beautiful trees around him, creating the stunning landscape surrounding his home. One thing I noticed and Fransico pointed out, was that most of the buildings we visited in town, built by Cuccinelli, had a library in them. This was made to encourage people to keep learning and discovering, just like him.
Also, something I did not know until this trip was that Brunello Cuccinelli has a strong love for not just fashion but the arts, including theatre.
He paid for this theatre to be built in Solomeo and many actors and also classical musicians want to and have performed here. It’s amazing how everything in the town he has built feels like his brand. Even in the theatre the architecture, the color scheme it all feels like the Cucinelli.
The next stop of our morning was visiting Brunello’s winery. Let me just start by saying… It is absolutely stunning. From the interior design of the space to the actual vineyards, it was just beautiful. Just like his clothes, his wine is just as pristine. In his cellar, he stores not just the brand’s wine but his own personal collection as well, which I was lucky enough to see. And let me just say if I had one wish as of right now it is to try every wine in his personal collection because… WOW. With the vintages he had along with the range in flavor profiles, I was in wine heaven.
Finally, to end our morning, we got to have lunch with the entire company, which they do every day at 1 pm in their version of a “cafeteria.” (guys, their lunch space, compared to American corporate cafeterias, is WAY NICER… THE STATES COULD NEVER.) The lunch was also delicious, filled with wine, pasta, cheese, and bread, and of course, finishing off with an espresso.
But even with things like this, I love how their company really feels like a family, they work together, eat together, and treat their work with passion not a forced job. You can feel the passion in the factory as you hear the roar of sewing machines moving and the designers intricately weaving, it’s just truly amazing. Francisco, our guide, made the entire experience so fun and informative.
And if this whole day was not amazing enough, after lunch, they took me to the private boutique to shop! Literally, take my entire savings account… I wanted to buy the whole store! From cashmere sweaters and beautiful gowns to the iconic Cucinelli sparkled shoes, how could I not want to buy everything? But I actually had self-restraint and just bought myself a new pair of sunglasses.
Overall this experience was so surreal and I was so honored to be able to come see Solomeo thanks to Cucinelli! This truly was such an unforgettable experience and made me fall even more in love with the brand which I didn’t even think was possible.
