ML - Vegas Magazine

2013 - Issue 6 - October

Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.

Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/175899

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 114 of 131

RIGHT, MIDDLE, AND BOTTOM LEFT: Interiors of Brunello Cucinelli's Shops at Crystals store. wife, Federica, grew up there, so he came to know it while they were dating. When he was seeking a place to base the business he had founded in 1978, Cucinelli thought of the hill town, which was beautiful, rustic, and also quite deserted. "It had become this very desolate place," he remembers. "So I said to myself, Maybe I can try and set up my very tiny business in this village and bring both life and humanity back into it." (Brunello and Federica live just steps from Castle Solomeo and have two grown daughters, Carolina and Camilla; all four work in the family business.) Almost three decades later, Cucinelli has succeeded not only in breathing life anew into an ancient town, but also in imbuing the surrounding region with a sense of economic prosperity. At the base of that hill, another building is under construction—a second, larger space for more workrooms and offices—and Cucinelli is quick to point out that it's his success in the US, and especially markets like Las Vegas, that made it possible. "I've always thought America has been the determining factor for this brand," he says. "It's also a great benchmark for us globally. I was speaking with our Chinese partner this morning, and I asked him what he does to measure success in the brand, and he said, 'I always take a look at the stores in America.'" Cucinelli is fond of quoting the philosophers, poets, and other historical figures he has studied. One wall of his office is dotted with portraits of those who inspire him, from Socrates and Aristotle to Abraham Lincoln, even Barack Obama. Quotes from these and others are never far from reach as he considers not merely how his success impacts a town he loves, but also how it allows him to create a business model that feeds equally a respect for craft and for his employees' way of life. On this day, it's a Roman born in 76 AD who springs to Cucinelli's mind: "Like Hadrian the emperor used to say, 'I feel responsible for the beauty of the world.'" V Waxed shearling men's bomber jacket with contrasting lining; pinstriped wool, cashmere, and silk suit with peak lapels; cotton pocket square with two-tone trim; Italian-fit denim shirt; and Prince of Wales flannel bow tie, all from Brunello Cucinelli's Fall collection. Silk-lined python gloves, shiny python clutch, and diamond and silver necklace/bracelet from Brunello Cucinelli's Fall collection. VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 113 110-113_V_Feat_Cucinelli3_Oct13.indd 113 9/17/13 5:40 PM

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of ML - Vegas Magazine - 2013 - Issue 6 - October