Here's why fashion designer Brunello Cucinelli earned an honorary doctorate in architecture

“When we build, fto america deliberation that we build forever,” Italian manner designer Brunello Cucinelli quoted English polymath John Ruskin astatine an reside to observe being nan first recipient of an honorary doctorate successful “Design for Made successful Italy: Identity, Innovation, and Sustainability”.

The aforesaid quote is inscribed connected a plaque successful nan centre of Solomeo, nan hamlet which Cucinelli has made nan location of his family, business and belief life since 1985. Once a crumbling tract astatine nan apical of a elevation among nan rolling Umbrian countryside, it has been lovingly restored complete nan years acknowledgment to costs from nan Cucinelli enterprise.

It is for this that he's been honoured astatine nan University of Campania by a group of universities and specialists successful nan section of architecture, arsenic good arsenic nan hold of this activity to nan surrounding Umbrian region. It is nan first clip nan designer has received an grant for architecture.

In 2010 nan designer, famed for his luxurious cashmere knitwear, and his wife, established Fondazione Brunello e Federica Cucinelli which has had a important and lasting effect connected nan Umbrian region.

The Italian region is characterised by medieval towns, monasteries and lush greenish fields and hills which make it a celebrated vacation and wedding destination, but nan countless historical sites coming a situation to maintain. “I firmly judge successful nan work to sphere this legacy,” says Cucinelli. “In losing our memories, we would suffer ourselves. Moreover, safeguarding history intends giving constituent to nan future.”

Walking astir Perugia, nan region’s capital, you won’t find nan Cucinelli sanction celebrated connected a plaque aliases successful nan sanction of a building, but nan family’s power is everywhere. It’s successful nan pinkish tones of nan Roman inscription connected nan city’s Etruscan arch landmark, which hadn’t been visible to present-day visitors until nan Cucinelli Foundation restored it successful 2014. It’s successful nan beautifully refurbished interiors of nan Morlacchi theatre, which has remained unfastened to residents acknowledgment to backing fixed successful 2017 and nan caller façade of nan cathedral they supported successful 2022.

In 2018, Brunello Cucinelli sold a 6% stock successful his eponymous institution to adhd a further €100 cardinal to nan foundation. The foundation’s existent ongoing projects see a room successful Solomeo and nan rebuilding of nan medieval colony of Castelluccio di Norcia which was destroyed successful an earthquake successful 2016.

Many of Italy’s manner houses person contributed to nan restoration of nan country’s historical landmarks. Fendi donated €2 cardinal to nan restoration of nan Trevi Fountain successful 2013, Salvatore Ferragamo renovated a helping of nan Uffizi Gallery successful 2015 and Bulgari sponsored activity connected nan Spanish Steps successful 2016. 

While these projects are basal and worthwhile, there’s thing peculiarly typical astir Cucinelli’s ongoing activity connected a section level successful nan region he intelligibly loves truthful deeply. The projects besides spell beyond preserving history, pinch galore having tangible benefits for nan wider organization too. Culture, acquisition and spirituality are astatine nan bosom of galore of them. “I person learned that architecture is made for mankind,” he explains.

Brunello Cucinelli was calved successful nan agrarian Umbrian colony of Castel Rigone, astir 20km from Solomeo. He met his wife, Federica, successful her hometown of Solomeo erstwhile they were teenagers and nan mates group up location successful nan hamlet which coming is location to astir 700 different residents. It’s besides now location to their 2 daughters, Camilla and Carolina, on pinch their husbands, each of whom activity successful nan company, and their children. 

Down successful nan vale adjacent to nan hamlet is nan Brunello Cucinelli mill and offices which supply activity to astir 700 employees. The abstraction is agleam and clean, pinch ample windows that look retired onto nan manicured lawns and surrounding countryside, a luxury galore manner workers don’t get successful metropolis warehouses. Lunch breaks are an hr and a half, nary 1 eats astatine their desk, and everyone leaves connected clip astatine nan extremity of nan day. “That clip is for your soul,” says nan entrepreneur. Even among his ain family, they don’t talk business astatine nan meal table.

Cucinelli has a estimation arsenic “fashion’s philosopher”, and his reside astatine nan University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli was littered pinch nan thoughts and words of awesome thinkers: Kant, St Francis, St Benedict, Xenophanes, Emperor Hadrian and galore more. 

He’s driven by his ain accuracy of “humanistic capitalism”. Unlike galore capitalists though, he thinks acold into nan future. The aged workshops of nan institution successful Solomeo are kept successful a measurement that they could beryllium returned into residential apartments should nan institution nary longer request them.

The spaces are presently being used, however, to train early generations of artisans. “I’m not concerned astir who will bargain luxury successful nan future, I’m concerned astir who will make it,” Cucinelli says. The School of Contemporary High Craftsmanship and Arts opened successful 2013 offers programmes which straight support nan company’s outputs, specified arsenic shape cutting, tailoring and mending, but besides horticulture, farming and masonry, skills which he believes request preserving for nan wider world.

Since Brunello Cucinelli went nationalist successful 2012, its marketplace capitalisation has grown from €530 cardinal to €6.5 billion, a dream travel existent for immoderate entrepreneur. However, it’s clear from what he’s done pinch this luck complete nan past 15 years that his dreams spell bigger than business success, bigger than nan institution itself and bigger than his ain lifetime.

As he collects his honorary doctorate successful architecture he muses astir his ain company, but besides calls connected nan room to see nan effect of their ain actions, saying: “The early is not wholly ours, nor is it wholly not ours.”