It was a Roman holiday for Brunello Cucinelli this past week, who swapped Solomeo – the medieval Umbrian hamlet that the cashmere giant has transformed into its Edenic headquarters – for the Eternal City to launch a new eyewear collection at Villa Aurelia, a Baroque residence on Rome’s Janiculum Hill.
First built in the late 17th century for Cardinal Girolamo Farnese – then the governor of Rome – the ornate home was later restored by an American heiress, Mrs Clara Jessup Heyland, who bequeathed it after her death to the American Academy in Rome. It proved a suitably dramatic backdrop: beyond the ornate residence are sprawling gardens replete with Roman pine trees and palms, its winding walkways leading to breathtaking vistas of the city in its entirety beyond.
Brunello Cucinelli launches S/S 2024 eyewear collection in Rome
From these gardens emerged models wearing the brand’s new eyewear collection in an intimate runway show which took place just at the onset of evening (naturally, beyond the sunglasses, they were entirely clad in Brunello Cucinelli, as if on a particularly glamourous eveningtime wander). The collection marks the first full offering under the Brunello Cucinelli name; previously, the brand’s eyewear collection, first launched in 2021, was created alongside American eyewear label Oliver Peoples, which was founded in West Hollywood in the 1980s.
This new collection is created as part of a new deal with French-Italian eyewear conglomerate EssilorLuxottica, which owns Oliver Peoples alongside creating sunglasses for Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Burberry and Versace, among others. Cucinelli, who has placed artisanal Italian craftsmanship at the centre of his eponymous label since its founding in 1978, said the deal with EssilorLuxottica was signed in 2022 after a conversation with Luxottica founder Leonardo Del Vecchio who passed away in June of the same year.
’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!’’ 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, who saw in his Agordo company what he liked to call “the beautiful factory”, a little like I do with Solomeo,’ says Cucinelli (called the ‘Hamlet of Harmony’, Solomeo has become a lifelong project in combining community, culture, education and production in a single place).
Working together with Francesco Milleri, chairman and CEO of EssilorLuxottica, the Brunello Cucinelli team created the collection which includes both sunglasses and opticals and largely centres on riffs on classic styles – from Wayfarers to Aviators. Encompassing what Cucinelli calls a ‘gentle luxury’, the glasses feature lavish materials – from made-in-Japan titanium frames to arms plated in 18-carat gold, while lenses are made in the Barberini factory in Silvi, Italy. Cashmere provides the inspiration for the collection’s palette, alongside the colours and reflections of Italian sunsets.
Adds Milleri: ‘The Brunello Cucinelli fashion house has succeeded in creating a new concept of luxury, fueled by respect for labour and its dignity.... We are bound by more than just an agreement: Brunello Cucinelli is not only a great entrepreneur but also a friend whom I respect and admire. The collection we helped to create under his and his family’s creative direction expresses all these values, perfectly combining technology and superior craftsmanship.’
Wallpaper* joined the festivities on Thursday evening, which after the runway show began with aperitivo on the the Villa Aurelia terrace before guests entered the Sala Aurelia for a typically lavish dinner – Cucinelli is known for his Italian hospitality – which comprised heaving tables of antipasti, signature Paccheri pasta and an array of desserts, from chocolate-encased ice creams to cannoli filled to order. The evening ended, in typically Italian style, with music and dancing, as the lights of Rome twinkled below.
‘Plato said: ”Beauty is the splendour of truth”,’ concluded Cucinelli. ’I wholeheartedly hope that our glasses, which are so true and beautiful, will please customers and achieve all the success they deserve.’
Brunello Cucinelli S/S 2024 eyewear is available now on the brand’s website and in boutiques worldwide.
