Brunello Cucinelli believes “it’s not the time for minimalism or anonymous looks.” To be sure, his namesake brand’s fall collection was anything but conservative and unadorned.
As he compared the lineup to a tale or the pages of a book where the author is recognizable through their prose, his signifiers were all there — the sophisticated knits made by hand, the tension between masculine and feminine tropes and the luxurious fabrics. But this season, they were raised to the nth degree. In fact, he dubbed the collection as “country couture,” given the craft behind the looks.
Mock fur coats and vests were made from knitted mohair, twisted in curls, fringed with a mouliné effect, or embroidered with sequins — light accents a recurring theme throughout the collection.
Tailoring was softened by what he called a “rustic romantic” mood, with unexpected contrasts, embroideries and patterns in a new polka-dot-meets-animalier version.
Tapping into British heritage, there were plenty of checks, pied-de-poule, Prince of Wales and tartan motifs on bombers, jackets and trouser-skirts. Roomy corduroy pants were worn under shearling aviator jackets. Shearling was treated as knitwear or to resemble lynx fur. A crochet tweed and cashmere vest was made by hand in a process that took 30 hours, Cucinelli pointed out. Embroidered chevron pants were worn under a puffer bomber jacket. This season, there was lots of brown, and hazy earthy colors that telegraphed that misty English countryside. The shapes were loose — reflecting the concept that fluid ease can also be chic and elegant.
Cucinelli knows his target customer, and his publicly listed company continues to grow, beating its own expectations. This was a strong collection that will surely fuel that growth and contribute to his unflagging upbeat vision of the market.