WUHAN — For Carolina Cucinelli, taking a family business into the future means holding on to its values while finding new ways to bring them to life.
“The idea of humanism and, of course, economic unity is very important,” she said at the WWD x SKP Global Fashion & Beauty Summit in Wuhan, China, on Oct. 22. “The values are very important to create a great connection with our clients.”
The vice president and co-creative director of Brunello Cucinelli could only spend the morning in Wuhan for the summit, as she had to head to Shanghai for the opening of Casa Cucinelli that evening, right opposite Louis Vuitton’s boat-shaped slow pop-up The Louis on the bustling Nanjing West Road.
On stage, she spoke about a challenge facing any growing fashion house: expanding internationally without losing what makes it distinctive.
For Cucinelli, that starts with respect for people, the land and the communities around the business.
Casa Cucinelli in Shanghai is one way the company puts that idea into practice. It isn’t a conventional store, she said, but a private space where clients can spend time with the brand and get closer to its philosophy. There are 10 Casa spaces around the world.
“Casa is a private space dedicated to clients, dedicated to the essence of our brand. The idea when you join Casa is to really repeat the essence of our philosophy,” she said.
That connection to place starts at home in Solomeo, the small Italian village where Brunello Cucinelli has built its headquarters and production network. As the company grows, Cucinelli said, it wants to do so without losing its character.
“We try to create a kind of culture rooted in respect for people, respect for the land,” she said.
The same thinking carries through to the products. Across categories, the company focuses on design, quality materials, Italian production and colors inspired by the land. Even with something as different as wine, Cucinelli said, the aim is to respect the territory and support the local community.
The goal is to make clothes people will want to wear for years, perhaps even “forever.” That idea seems to resonate with shoppers who are becoming more thoughtful about what they buy.
“Chinese customers are very knowledgeable. They know well what luxury means now,” she said. “They prefer to buy less but buy better.” Younger customers, she added, want to feel close to a brand and understand what it stands for.
The company tries to make that connection real by inviting people in. After it went public in 2012, Cucinelli recalled, the company invited investors to Solomeo to see the business for themselves and hear about its values.
“We created a relationship with investors and had the chance to explain what our values are,” she said.
That personal touch is also shaping the company’s approach to digital. Work on its platforms began around 2017, with one site devoted to the company’s story and another focused on its products. The aim isn’t simply to sell online; it’s to make the experience feel personal and true to the brand.
The company has an in-house team focused on technology. As it explores artificial intelligence, Cucinelli said, the question is how to use it without losing sight of the people at the heart of the business.
“We started to understand what we can do to create, also in the digital moment, to put the human beings in the center,” she said.
That might mean tailoring the way the company tells its story or responds to a client’s questions. Even the digital interface, she said, is meant to feel more artisanal, with an artist involved in its design.
But technology has its limits. Cucinelli and her sister Camilla don’t use AI to design collections. Their design team travels to understand markets and spot new trends — experiences that, she said, can’t yet be replicated by artificial intelligence.
The company is also working to pass on the hands-on skills behind its products. In 2013, it established a school in Solomeo to train a new generation of artisans. About 60 students attend each year and receive a salary as they learn. Around 5 percent go on to work for the company; others find opportunities with its suppliers.
Students come from across Italy and sometimes from farther afield. The program covers different areas of the business, Cucinelli said, with a particular focus on craftsmanship and production. It’s a way to keep those skills alive while giving young people a reason to build a future in the area.
Cucinelli’s own path into the business began at a sewing machine. She wanted to become a tailor, studied the craft and joined the company at 19. Her father later encouraged her to explore other parts of the business, and every few years she moved into a new area, including marketing, communications and development.
“I’m very happy about that because I discovered so many parts that I love so much,” she said.
Working with family, she said, can be wonderful, but it takes work to find the right balance.
Her sister is a close partner, and the two share a vision for the company. Their father remains a mentor and a strong presence, while encouraging the next generation to think about what comes next.
Asked whether her own son might join the business one day, Cucinelli said she wants him to decide for himself.
“I want to give him the freedom to choose,” she said. What she hopes to pass on is the passion for the work, not a sense of obligation — just as her father did for her.
“He transmitted the passion and never the problem,” she said. “And it’s for that I’m here.”
Looking ahead, Cucinelli said, the challenge is to keep creating while staying true to the company’s values: to understand what is changing in the world and interpret it in the company’s own way.