Carolina Cuccinelli On The Next Chapter of Her Father’s Legacy
Fuelled by a higher calling, Brunello Cucinelli’s daughter Carolina’s intrepid spirit is accelerating the billion-euro brand’s people-first mission
In her youth, she was a singer in a rock band with a passion for tattoo art, who aspired to pursue a career as a photographer or painter – basically anything employing fierce manual skill. Today Brunello Cucinelli’s younger daughter, co-president and co-creative director Carolina, has realised switching gears is associated with a much bigger calling, especially in a world plagued by climate crisis, war and inequity.
The millennial’s latest trailblazing project, the Be Your Change podcast, speaks to a younger generation of consumers through tales of hope and triumph. “Change always starts with people,” Carolina says, recognising the need for stories of hope, underscoring the sort of personal courage that inspires. For example Ramla Ali, the Somali-British professional boxer and former Bazaar Arabia cover star, talked about her journey from a severely overweight 12-year-old to her rise as the first Somali boxer to compete in the Olympics.
“It’s important for us to find the right people to share the right message and say ‘we must work hard every day’. It takes the right challenge to become one’s real self,” she points out, explaining that this was the company’s response to social media which often purveys “fake” or misleading images of perfect lives that are not perfect at all.
A vehicle designed to promote diversity and sustainability, the podcast is just one of the ways Carolina and the next generation of the family are writing this new chapter in the company’s beautiful 44-year history.
Another recent passion project, the Human Artisans of the Web project, aims to combine ancient traditions of seeking knowledge and the circulation of new and exciting ideas. The second daughter of Brunello and his wife Federica joined the communications team in 2016 and was tasked with the creation of the brand’s e-commerce platform and the restructuring of the company’s official website.
In and around Italy, where family-run companies like Brunello Cucinelli and Prada alike represent the backbone of the nation’s dynamic economy, a wave of generational succession has swept through this fashion-rich peninsula. The latter announced late last year that Miuccia Prada’s son Lorenzo Bertelli will be assisted by veteran CEO Andrea Guerra, to eventually succeed as leader of the family-run company.
Carolina is part of a trailblazing team that includes her older sister Camilla Cucinelli, co-head of the women’s style team and her brother-in-law Riccardo Stefanelli, co-chief executive officer, as well her own husband Alessio Piastrelli, a member of the men’s style team.
The management shift, despite the pandemic, has proved fruitful. Last month, the company said it would reach the milestone of 1 billion euros in 2023 sales, solidifying its status as one of the most successful family controlled luxury brands in Italy’s storied history.
Carolina, who speaks to Harper’s Bazaar Arabia in Dubai, after visiting the brand’s future boutique at the Mall of the Emirates, admits big landmark moments like these still come as a shock to the entire family, who pride themselves on their humble Umbrian roots.
“It takes the right challenge to become one’s real self”
Carolina Cuccinelli
“We are in Dubai and my mum and I saw this big picture of Solomeo, our hamlet [the company headquarters] covering the front of the store. It’s so emotional and I’m very proud,” she muses, recalling the life of her grandfather Umberto who died at 100 years old in April last year. Umberto was a farmer who survived the horrors of World War II and later went on to work in Perugia where he endured injustices in the workplace, Brunello recalled in a tribute.
Perhaps that is why the family refers to the company as a “humanistic enterprise” – well-known for providing one of the most dignified working experiences in the fashion world.
An anomaly in Italy, where industrial salaries are notoriously lower compared to the EU average, Brunello Cucinelli is committed to the wellbeing of its workers, regularly offering generous bonuses and where healthy working hours are enforced.
“Brunello has the last word for sure… but I think over the last five years he has started to listen to the young generation a lot,” she explains, adding that the secret to working as a family is not talking about work at home… ever. “We try to mix and match Brunello’s brand identity with a little bit of a fresh view.”
A blonde beauty, who is both warm and approachable, flanked Brunello at business events for years. Since her father, known for his outspoken views and unbridled sense of humour, has settled into a new role as executive chairman, the younger Cucinelli has been greatly responsible for steering the brand’s new image.
In 2022, frequent travel and star-studded events were paramount. In October, she and her sister travelled to Ferris, Texas where Neiman Marcus threw a dinner party at Roadrunner Ranch in honor of Muse of the West, a capsule women’s collection designed by the Cucinelli sisters exclusively for the luxury retailer.
In December of last year, Carolina hosted a cocktail with her sister in a private home nestled in the Hollywood Hills over Sunset Boulevard. Guests included a diverse roster of new faces that surround the brand: Ramla Ali, Chris Pine, Ryan Seacrest, Abbie Cornish, Jay Ellis, Julian Morris, Spencer Neville, Diego Boneta and Sam Corlett.
Carolina certainly carries on her father’s sense of passion and grit. The billionaire, often referred to as the King of Cashmere, drew inspiration from the local cashmere artisan community and realised his charisma, determination and pursuit of knowledge were a winning combination, gaining popularity among buyers and eventually garnering the attention of the biggest names in retail.
At home in the medieval town of Solomeo, the family has built a world around the brand that is inextricably linked with the land and the artisan spirit it has given birth to. Today, Carolina, mother to son Brando, also dedicates her energy to performances in the theatre or organising an outdoor summer cinema programme in Solomeo’s Forum of The Arts.
“We put the human being in the middle of our life. Together we need to focus on the planet”
Carolina Cuccinelli
“The best part is together, we are stronger, because we have the same focus, we know we have the same values. I trust in that very much.”
Looking back on her youth, she admits that she has two souls – one that perhaps identifies with the delights of country life and slow luxury and the other rooted in her rock spirit which today is subtly expressed through her love for the arts and her talent for tattoo art, which she extends to close friends exclusively. “I think it [tattoos] are all part of a person’s story.”
The company’s story, on the other hand, is increasingly fuelled by a younger following and its management is aware that this generation shares the same views about sustainability in terms of economic sustainability, human sustainability and dignity.
“My father’s dream was to create something that respects nature, people and animals and this remains our guide,” she says, pondering her own family’s journey tattooed in the pages of Italy’s fashion history.
Interviewed by Olivia Phillips. Written by Sofia Celeste.
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s January 2023 issue.