admin Amongst the 60-ish models were Bianca Balti, Tony Ward, Mark Vanderloo, Eva Herzigova, and Lucky Blue Smith. They crunched down the gravel at sunset and stood in three tiers of the theater’s koilon, beneath a four meter bust of the Roman emperor, Hadrian. The guests they faced, Stewart aside, included Patrick Dempsey, Vanessa Kirby, Ashley Park, David Gandy, Emma Thynn, and Jonathan Bailey. Absolutely everyone, as per the party’s dress code, wore shades of beige.
Since launching his brand in 1978 Cucinelli has been dedicated to the creation of wearable harmony: an infinite progression of serene human facades, all defined by an interplay of tone, texture, and proportion. It’s subtle stuff, and the tranquility of the product belies the drama—and hard work—behind Cucinelli’s apparently effortless rise to become one of the most significant independent luxury brands in the world.
In a brief speech after the models had walked, Cucinelli spoke about growing up as a farmer’s son in a house without electricity, of meeting his wife Federica when they were still teenagers, and of the personal philosophy that has sustained his rise. Like his garments, that philosophy is informed by classical tradition—he cited Seneca, St. Dominic, Dante, and Confucius , amongst others—which is then rigorously applied to the conditions of the contemporary world.
