{"id":52906,"date":"2022-03-17T18:12:31","date_gmt":"2022-03-17T18:12:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/?post_type=articles&p=52906"},"modified":"2022-03-17T20:11:39","modified_gmt":"2022-03-17T20:11:39","slug":"carolina-cucinelli-brunello-cucinelli-family-matters","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/carolina-cucinelli-brunello-cucinelli-family-matters\/","title":{"rendered":"Carolina Cucinelli Is Bringing Brunello Cucinelli\u2019s Brand Philosophy to a Wider Audience"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Courtesy Brunello Cucinelli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Carolina Cucinelli grew up in the idyllic Italian village of Solomeo, which her father, the founder and chief executive of his eponymous luxury men\u2019s and womenswear label Brunello Cucinelli<\/a>, restored to serve as the brand\u2019s headquarters. Despite living in the \u201chamlet of cashmere and harmony,\u201d Carolina never heard much about the family business inside her home. In fact, there was \u201cabsolutely never\u201d any talk about work by her parents.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the beginning, when my sister Camilla and I were very young, my father and my mother decided not to speak about their jobs at home,\u201d Carolina says. \u201cWe\u2019d have lunch and dinner together every day and they wanted to leave us out from all the nuts and bolts of the business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carolina, who now serves as the co-president, co-creative director and board member of the company, wasn\u2019t lured to work for the family business by pressure or necessity; instead, she found the love of the work all on her own.<\/p>\n

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Courtesy Brunello Cucinelli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cMy father always said that I\u2019m completely free to choose my path, which was important to me,\u201d she explains. \u201cGrowing up I was passionate about art and dance and fashion. When I was very, very young I started to create sample clothes for my Barbie dolls. But being that my father and mother were very busy working at the company every day, I was a bit curious about it. So, when I finished school, I decided to spend one year in the company. After almost 11 years, I\u2019m still here.\u201d<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t shoot straight to the top when she began, despite her last name. Instead, she spent five years working in the production department and with the design team to better understand the fabrics and craftsmanship involved in the line. Then, she moved to the communications and digital side, working on the website and online boutique.<\/p>\n

Today, being the co-president and co-creative director means she oversees just about everything going on in the company. From working with the design team, to communicating with clients, journalists and all vendors outside the company, Carolina is busy day to day. \u201cDesign and communication are a big focus for me,\u201d she explains. \u201cThe majority of my time, around 80 percent, is dedicated to the product.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Courtesy Brunello Cucinelli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

No matter what she tackles in any given day, she\u2019s always thinking about the overall image of the brand. \u201cWe try to work every day to create a connection with our client and better explain our philosophy, our brand, our product,\u201d she shares. Most recently, that effort has taken shape through three different platforms \u2014 by launching a new video series campaign, getting into the celebrity dressing space, and debuting the brand\u2019s first collaboration.<\/p>\n

The first initiative she helped launch was the Be Your Change project<\/a>, a video series the brand began in 2021 and will continue this year, featuring stories of creative and accomplished individuals. The company wanted to highlight friends of the brand who are \u201cvery in line with our values and with our perspective of life\u201d and who could share the \u201creal stories and challenges\u201d that people go through, Carolina explains.<\/p>\n

Some of the videos feature Olympic skier Eileen Gu, pianist Alexander Romanovsky, and figure skater Elladj Balde\u0301 sharing their thoughts on hope and the future. \u201cThe idea was to try to create a connection with the new generation, and the new generation is very focused on the digital world,\u201d Carolina says. \u201cIt\u2019s a very fresh campaign with a message that the young generation can appreciate: a message for the future, a message of hope. I\u2019ve seen a lot of re-posting of this video. It\u2019s something different from the fashion part of the brand; this is taking it to a second level.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Courtesy Brunello Cucinelli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another way the brand is connecting with inspiring individuals is by breaking further into the celebrity dressing scene. While the brand has always had \u201ca little collection of clothing for occasions,\u201d Carolina says, now they are extending their reach into Hollywood. Brunello Cucinelli hosted an event in Los Angeles in December 2021 to show celebrity stylists and friends of the brand a special 10-piece selection of men\u2019s and women\u2019s red- carpet designs so they could \u201cbetter understand our kind of style,\u201d says Carolina. \u201cWe like the idea of mixing and matching pants and a jacket with other pieces, like a very funky T-shirt, or with precious shoes. We like the idea that women can adapt the look for a special event.\u201d<\/p>\n

The third way she\u2019s expanding the brand is through a collaboration with the California- based eyewear brand, Oliver Peoples, which launched last fall. The debut line marked the first-ever collaboration for Brunello Cucinelli, which happened to be a very organic fit \u201cbecause our companies hold the same values and have the same approach to business,\u201d Carolina says.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not lost on Carolina that having her father as her mentor \u2014 \u201cmy stroke of luck\u201d \u2014 makes her experience in the workforce a bit different than others. Brunello, who is as well known for his ethical and humanistic approach to business as he is for captivating the industry with his innovative dyed cashmere when he launched in 1978, paved a bold path. Still, being a woman comes with its own challenges.<\/p>\n

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Courtesy Brunello Cucinelli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cAs a woman, a mother, a young person, the world of business is not the easiest place to be,\u201d Carolina notes. \u201cSometimes I do have the feeling that you have this constant need to prove your worth, to show how much you value yourself.\u201d And, there\u2019s no question she feels pressure in the role that she\u2019s in today.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo tell you the truth, I don\u2019t know whether this pressure came from others or whether I put it on myself. But the latter is what matters the most. I contributed to it, and I put pressure on myself, that\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

What shifted her mindset was becoming a mom. \u201cIt really has helped me a lot in finding and setting my priorities right,\u201d Carolina admits. Before COVID-19, she traveled often, but now what\u2019s most important to her is being at home, raising her 1-year-old son Brando in the same town she grew up in with her husband, Alessio Piastrelli, who also works for Brunello Cucinelli on the men\u2019s style team.<\/p>\n

In fact, the precedent her parents set to keep work out of the home is still something Carolina and her sister Camilla \u2014 who also works for Brunello Cucinelli as co-head of the women\u2019s style office along with her husband Riccardo Stefanelli, the company\u2019s CEO \u2014 continue to embrace today.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we are at work, we are colleagues and at home, we are friends,\u201d says Carolina. \u201cIt\u2019s important to divide it into two different worlds.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe choice that my parents made \u2014 never to bring work into the home in the evening \u2014 really paid off for them, because that was a reason why my sister and I actually fell in love with the job and enjoy the business.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Courtesy Brunello Cucinelli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If it worked for Carolina and Camilla, it may be the ticket to priming the third generation to take the reins one day. \u201cI definitely hope that my son and my two nieces, they can sort of fall in love with the company, so maybe one of them can really carry forward the legacy,\u201d she says. \u201cBut it needs to be a choice that they make themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the end, Carolina knows what\u2019s best for her son is \u201cto be really happy,\u201d no matter what that looks like. Carolina muses, \u201cWhether he wants to become an artist, or he wants to join the business, or if he wants to move to the other side of the world, I truly just wish for him to be happy and to have a lot of different experiences and to travel and be a child of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether or not her son works side-by-side with her one day, the teachings Brunello instilled in Carolina surely will be passed onto the next generation. To Carolina, \u201cWhat my father conveyed to me the most was that of respect. Respecting all the different points of view of the people I work with, my family, and my whole community.\u201d<\/p>\n

That very act of respecting those around her at work and in life is what keeps Carolina motivated and inspired every day. Noting that her favorite aspect of going to work is \u201cgetting to learn new ways of tackling things and interacting with many different people,\u201d she says. \u201cWhether it\u2019s the seamstress, who makes and manufactures the garment, or somebody who talks to me about communication or finance, I want to work with all of them and hear the ideas they bring into the office.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, having the same focus as her family is a uniquely special experience. \u201cI\u2019m very proud and I\u2019m very happy to be here,\u201d says Carolina. \u201cI feel lucky.\u201d<\/p>\n

To read more from GRAZIA USA\u2019s March 2022 issue, pick up a copy on newsstands and email\u00a0<\/span>contact@graziausa.com<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>to subscribe.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33012,"featured_media":52922,"template":"","format":"standard","categories":[17,16],"yoast_head":"\nCarolina Cucinelli Talks Carrying on Brunello Cucinelli\u2019s Brand Legacy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"For Carolina Cucinelli, it's all about family. 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