Soft knits are hard work and cashmere empires don't come easy. So it's no surprise that Brunello Cucinelli takes beauty – which is to say, the pursuit and power of it – very seriously indeed.
He has written essays on the subject, restored an entire Umbrian village in tribute. And in the earlier days of his brand’s rise, he found a fellow disciple in the form of late Luxottica founder, Leonardo Del Vecchio.
The Italian businessman, who passed away in 2022, liked to refer to his Agordo-based company as “the beautiful factory”. So it was something of a full circle moment last Friday in the hilltops of Rome when Brunello Cucinelli marked the launch of the brand’s new eyewear collection, all made in collaboration with the Italian-French fashion house of Del Vecchio’s making.
It's true, this isn’t the first time that Brunello Cucinelli has swapped undercoats for acetate. The label previously worked with Los Angeles brand Oliver Peoples, which also lives under the Luxottica umbrella, on a capsule in 2021.
But the new collection is a broader offering and the first to fall under the singular Brunello Cucinelli name, consisting of fourteen different styles under four unique themes that draw on a different aspect of Cucinelli's fashion heritage.
“Leonardo Del Vecchio confessed to me one day: ‘Dear Brunello, I don’t know whether the glasses we make are beautiful, but they’re certainly made in the best way in the world!’," Cucinelli said in a press release following the launch. "Today, admiring the excellent result of such formidable work and harmony, I think back to the words of that gracious, strong-willed, steadfast and kind man".
Ironically, we caught our first glimpse of the collection as the sun set on Rome's Janiculum Hill. New shapes emerged one by one, worn by models who made their way around the gardens of Villa Aurelia, a 17th-century Baroque residence that sits on the highest point within the walls of the Eternal City.
Our favourites? It has to be the Aviators from the 'Sartorial Sunset' line, made in Japan and forged out of titanium (or you can opt for the gold-plated version, if that's your bag). The 'Mr Brunello' glasses, from the 'Iconic Meridian' category that draws from Solomeo and its coat of arms, are just as worthy of a place in your summer arsenal. Take a look at some of the collection below, and shop the whole range here.
