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Brioni (brand)

Coordinates: 41°54′14″N 12°29′40″E / 41.9040134°N 12.4943797°E / 41.9040134; 12.4943797
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This article is about the Italian sartorial menswear company. For the islands in Croatia, see Brijuni. For the Italian commune, see Brione, Trentino.

41°54′14″N 12°29′40″E / 41.9040134°N 12.4943797°E / 41.9040134; 12.4943797

Brioni
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryLuxury
Founded1945; 79 years ago (1945)
FounderNazareno Fonticoli
Gaetano Savini
Headquarters
Rome
,
Italy
Key people
Mehdi Benabadji (CEO)
Norbert Stumpfl (Creative Director)
€170 million (2011)[1]
OwnerKering
Number of employees
1,200 (2017)[2]
Websitewww.brioni.com

Brioni is an Italian menswear luxury fashion house based in Rome and specialised in sartorial ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, eyewear and fragrance, and provides a tailor-made service (Bespoke).

Brioni was founded in Rome in 1945. In 1952, the brand organised the first menswear runway show in the modern history of fashion. The brand invented the trunk show and the Prêt Couture. Brioni opened the tailoring school Scuola di Alta Sartoria in Penne, Italia, in 1985. Brioni was acquired by the luxury group Kering in 2011. Mehdi Benabadji is the CEO of Brioni since December 2019, and Norbert Stumpfl the creative director since October 2018.

History

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Peacock Revolution

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See also: peacock revolution

The first Brioni store, a tailor menswear boutique, was established on Via Barberini 79 in Rome in 1945 by Nazareno Fonticoli and Gaetano Savini.[3] The name Brioni is a reference to the Croatian Brijuni Islands, a vacation destination for European jet setters.

Brioni was the first tailor for menswear to use bold colors and lighter material, introducing new silhouettes using slimmer shapes with natural shoulders.[3] In 1952, Brioni staged the first menswear fashion show in the modern history of fashion, inside the Sala Bianca at Palazzo Pitti in Florence, where the Peacock Revolution was introduced.[3] Brioni also invented the trunk show, during which the collections were presented directly in stores, allowing customers to personalize the garments with the Su Misura service (made-to-measure).[4] Brioni promoted the “total look”, manufacturing suits, hats, ties, shirts and shoes. In 1959, a production plant was opened in Penne, Abruzzo, birth town of Nazareno Fonticoli. Called Brioni Roman Style, the state-of-the-art factory introduced the concept of Prêt Couture, or ready-to-wear Haute Couture that sealed the international rise of the brand.[3]

During the 1950s, Brioni organized fashion shows in 9 US cities[5] which launched the distribution of the brand in the USA.[6] Brioni raised interests from celebrities, heads of state and business leaders. American movie stars of the 1950s such as Clark Gable, John Wayne and Cary Grant wore Brioni suits in Hollywood, giving international exposure to the brand.[7] In 1959, Brioni launched a production plant, the Brioni Roman Style in Penne, which introduced the concept of Prêt Couture that also precipitated the international rise of the brand.[8]

Expansion

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In 1985, the company opened a tailoring school in Penne with the aim of transmitting to younger generations the specific Brioni sartorial method.[9] The same year, Brioni opened a store in New-York's Fisher Building on 52nd Street.

In 1990, Umberto Angeloni was appointed CEO of Brioni. He embarked the company in a diversification of its product lines, from sportswear to womenswear (Lady Brioni) and accessories. Between 1995 and 2001, the company's revenue grew threefold to 150 million dollars.[10] In 2007, Brioni tied a partnership with the Royal College of Art in London to train master tailors through a 3-year program[11] (the partnership ended in 2019).

In 2006, Angeloni was replaced by three joint CEOs: Antonella de Simone, Andrea Perrone, and Antonio Bianchini.[5] In June 2007, Angeloni and his wife sold their 17% share in the company.[12] In 2009, Brioni was hit by the economic crisis but refused to relocate its manufacturing outside of Italy. Instead, the brand released new categories of products with new fabrics[13][14] and introduced a men's scent, the brand's first foray into fragrances since the release of the 1958 Good Luck fragrance.[15] Andrea Perrone took over as CEO[16] and appointed Alessandro Dell'Acqua as creative director of womenswear in May 2010,[17] but the brand discontinued its women's line the following year.[18]

Kering acquisition

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A Brioni boutique at Wynn Las Vegas

In 2011, Brioni was acquired by the French luxury group PPR (renamed Kering in 2013).[19] For the past decade, the brand had been struggling to redefine itself, the influence of streetwear and casual office wear was driving the younger clientele away from the traditional suits tailored by Brioni.[20] Francesco Pesci, an employee of the company since 1994, acted as CEO of Brioni during the transition.[21] In July 2012, Brendan Mullane was appointed creative director of Brioni.[22][23] Mulllane experimented with silk, hand-painted fabrics, and kimono-belted suits in his collections.[24]

In November 2014, Gianluca Flore took over as CEO of the brand.[21] In March 2016, Justin O’Shea was appointed creative director of Brioni.[25] O'Shea looked for a reinvention of the brand by appealing to new customers, featuring stronger shoulders, smaller waist and longer jackets.[26] On March 23, 2016, luxury conglomerate Kering announced that it had appointed Justin O’Shea, a heavily tattooed Australian and street-style enthusiast with more than 80,000 Instagram followers, as creative director.[27] A self-taught retail expert, O’Shea was formerly the fashion director of the German e-commerce site MyTheresa.[28][29] O’Shea featured the four members of Metallica dressed in Brioni tuxedos in his first ad campaign with the brand.[30][31] The remake of Brioni's logo under O'Shea has been compared to the Fraktur typeface.[32] O'Shea showed his first collection for the house on 4 July 2016.[33] After 6 months,[34][35] Brioni announced that O'Shea would leave the brand.[36] Brioni reported that its Autumn/Winter 2017 collection would be presented to buyers in the Milan showroom from mid-November 2016 but would not have a corresponding runway show.[36] In March 2017, Fabrizio Malverdi became the new CEO of Brioni,[37][38] and appointed Nina-Maria Nitsche as creative director in June 2017,[39] who was credited for revitalizing Brioni.[40] The Primo suit was introduced, a contemporary interpretation of the brand's tailoring.[41] In July 2018, Nina-Maria Nitsche exited Brioni, her style being described as elegant yet "too safe".[42]

In October 2018, Austrian designer Norbert Stumpfl was appointed Design Director of Brioni.[43] Norbert Stumpfl introduced a more tonal suit design with enhanced sumptuous fabrics. Cashmere, silk, vicuna and suede prevailed to create a lighter informal feel to the house's iconic yet muted suit designs.[44][45] In 2019, Mehdi Benabadji was appointed CEO of Brioni.[46]

Operations

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In 2020, Brioni operated 30 stores,[47] and had 1,350 employees, including 1,000 tailors in production facilities.

Since 1985, Brioni has operated the tailoring school Scuola di Alta Sartoria located near its factory in Penne, Italy. A made-to-measure suit requires 200 tailors and quality control specialists before shipment.[48] A Brioni jacket requires 12,000 stitches, only 17% of which are visible externally.[49] Garments are pressed and steamed around 80 times to lengthen the fabric.[48]

After having previously collaborated on a limited-edition scent for men, Brioni launched its first fragrance in collaboration with Firmenich in 2014.[50][51] In 2019, the brand entered into a worldwide perfume licensing agreement with Lalique Group, which initially runs through the end of 2024.[52]

In 2012, Brioni launched a collection of sunglasses hand-crafted in Italy by artisans using metal and horn.[53]

Marketing

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Brioni has hired movie stars for its advertising campaigns including: Samuel L. Jackson[54] and Sir Anthony Hopkins[55] in 2017, Harvey Keitel[56] and Pierce Brosnan[57] in 2018, Matt Dillon in 2019,[58] Brad Pitt in 2020,[59] and Jude Law in 2022.[60]

Governance

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CEOs
  • 1990–2006: Umberto Angeloni
  • 2006–2009: Antonella de Simone, Andrea Perrone, Antonio Bianchini
  • 2009–2010: Andrea Perrone
  • 2010–2014: Francesco Pesci
  • 2014–2017: Gianluca Flore
  • 2017–2019: Fabrizio Malverdi
  • 2020–present: Mehdi Benabadji
Creative designers
  • 2013–2016: Brendan Mullane
  • 2016: Justin O’Shea
  • 2017–2018: Nina-Maria Nitsche
  • 2018–present: Norbert Stumpfl
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Brioni dressed Pierce Brosnan in all his James Bond movies from GoldenEye (1995) on, and Daniel Craig in Casino Royale (2006).[61] In the 2000 movie American Psycho, Patrick Bateman (played by Christian Bale) wears a Brioni tie.[62] In the 2008 Coen brothers' film Burn After Reading, Brad Pitt's character tries to convince a co-worker that she should consider dating a guy based on the belief that he is wearing a Brioni suit.[63] In the pilot episode of The Good Wife, Alicia Florrick's boss comments that her colleague Cary Agos is wearing Brioni.

Brioni supplied Donald Trump with suits for his TV show The Apprentice.[64]

Further reading

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  • Farid Chenoune, Brioni (Universe of Fashion), ed. Universe. 1998.
  • Fernando Morelli, Lea Della Cagna and Michelle Finamore, Gaetano Savini, the Man Who Was Brioni, ed. Assouline. 2011.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Leila Abboud (8 November 2011), PPR to acquire Italian men's fashion brand Brioni Reuters.
  2. ^ Dominique Vidalon (17 March 2017), Kering picks Fabrizio Malverdi as CEO of Italy's Brioni Reuters.
  3. ^ a b c d Koski, Lorna (23 September 2015). "Gaetano Savini's Daughter Pens Intro to 'Gaetano Savini, the Man Who Was Brioni'". WWD. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  4. ^ "Mencyclopaedia: Brioni". Telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2015-07-21. Retrieved 2015-06-16.
  5. ^ a b "Brioni". FASHION DATABASE. 2019-07-12. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  6. ^ Tailored Trap for Men. Life. 10 October 1955.
  7. ^ Koski, Lorna (2015-09-23). "Gaetano Savini's Daughter Pens Intro to 'Gaetano Savini, the Man Who Was Brioni'". WWD. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  8. ^ "A Temple of Tailoring The Timeless Elegance of Brioni". Grailed. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  9. ^ Visiting the source: making Brioni suits The New York Times, 14 April 2014
  10. ^ Nalley, Richard. "Caruso's Umberto Angeloni: Fashion's Comeback King". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  11. ^ Czerny, Anna (27 October 2007). "Brioni joins forces with the Royal College of Art". Drapers. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  12. ^ "Angeloni Sells Stake in Brioni". WWD. 19 June 2007. Archived from the original on 2021-07-24. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  13. ^ Schwartz, Nelson D. (2009-08-10). "Brioni, Suitmaker to Presidents, Adapts to Crisis". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  14. ^ "FEATURE : Brioni, tailor to the glitterati, carries on doing what it does best despite recession - Taipei Times". www.taipeitimes.com. 5 May 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-05-09. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  15. ^ Beastall, Chris (15 October 2009). "Brioni Launches Men's Scent". Ape to Gentleman. Archived from the original on 2021-02-27. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  16. ^ "Brioni Names Andrea Perrone Group CEO". Elite Traveler. 2009-07-15. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  17. ^ Zargani, Luisa (2010-05-27). "Dell'Acqua to Design Brioni's Women's Line". WWD. Archived from the original on 2021-01-18. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  18. ^ Lerévérend, Anaïs. "Brioni discontinues women's line". FashionNetwork.com. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  19. ^ Mark Scott, PPR Acquires Italian Suit Maker Brioni, Nytimes.com, November 8, 2011
  20. ^ Trebay, Guy (2020-01-08). "Brioni Girds for Men's Wear Combat". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  21. ^ a b Szmydke, Paulina (22 October 2014). "Kering Names Gianluca Flore Brioni CEO". WWD. Archived from the original on 2017-03-04. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  22. ^ kering.com Brioni is strengthening its creative capacity and appoints Brendan Mullane as Creative Director Archived 2018-07-30 at the Wayback Machine 9 July 2012
  23. ^ Lauren Milligan, vogue.co.uk Brioni's Brit 9 July 2012
  24. ^ Schneier, Matthew (2014-04-30). "Dressing the Man of Means". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  25. ^ Marc Bain, Lovers of Brioni suits shouldn’t worry that a heavily tattooed Australian is the brand’s new creative head qz.com March 23, 2016
  26. ^ Schneier, Matthew (2016-07-02). "The New Brioni, Shaken and Stirred". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  27. ^ Marc Bain, Lovers of Brioni suits shouldn’t worry that a heavily tattooed Australian is the brand’s new creative head qz.com March 23, 2016
  28. ^ Elizabeth Patton, Brioni Announces Its Own Unconventional Hire The New York Times March 23, 2016
  29. ^ LAUREN SHERMAN, #Menswear is Dead. What's Next? JUNE 9, 2016
  30. ^ Brioni is the Latest Brand to Revamp its Image But Will it Work? June 29, 2016 The Fashion Law
  31. ^ MATTHEW SCHNEIER, The New Brioni, Shaken and Stirred New York Times , JULY 2, 2016
  32. ^ W magazine, Is Brioni's New Metallica Campaign Just John Varvatos-Lite? June 29, 2016, Max Lakin
  33. ^ Vogue (France), The new Brioni Man according to Justin O'Shea, Thaïs Dubs, translated by Cosima Baring, 05 July 2016
  34. ^ Abraham, Tamara (4 October 2016). "Justin O'Shea Exits Brioni". The Business of Fashion. Archived from the original on 2020-11-29. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  35. ^ Berrington, Katie (4 October 2016). "Justin O'Shea Parts Ways With Brioni". British Vogue. Archived from the original on 2016-10-05. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  36. ^ a b Justin O'Shea Exits Brioni TAMARA ABRAHAM, Business of Fashion, October 4, 2016
  37. ^ Conlon, Scarlett (17 March 2017). "Brioni Appoints CEO". British Vogue. Archived from the original on 2017-03-17. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  38. ^ "Malverdi è il nuovo CEO di Brioni". Pambianconews.com (in Italian). 17 March 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-03-17. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  39. ^ Brioni Names Nina-Maria Nitsche as Creative Director The New York Times, Elizabeth Paton, 2017/06/16
  40. ^ Garner, Stephen (2018-07-27). "BRIONI PARTS WAYS WITH CREATIVE DIRECTOR NINA-MARIA NITSCHE". MR Magazine. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  41. ^ Mazaheri, Tyler. "Brioni x Armie Hammer | The Primo Suit". Flaunt Magazine. Archived from the original on 2019-06-14. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  42. ^ Muret, Dominique (27 July 2018). "Brioni creative director Nina-Maria Nitsche exits label". FashionNetwork.com. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  43. ^ Zargani, Luisa (2018-10-01). "Brioni Taps Norbert Stumpfl as Design Director". WWD. Archived from the original on 2019-01-13. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  44. ^ Leitch, Luke. "Brioni Spring 2021 Menswear Collection". Vogue. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  45. ^ Clarke, Ashely (November 2020). "Introducing An Exclusive, Era-Defining Collection From Brioni". Mrporter.com.
  46. ^ Spencer, Mimosa (2019-12-17). "Brioni Names Mehdi Benabadji CEO". WWD. Archived from the original on 2019-12-17. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
  47. ^ "The Kering Group: number of stores by brand worldwide 2020". Statista. Retrieved 2021-04-05.
  48. ^ a b Casale, Rocky (4 April 2014). "An Exclusive Education on the Making of Brioni's Suits". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2020-04-24.
  49. ^ "Brioni: A Tailoring Tradition With Deep Roots". Luxury Highlights. January 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-04-24. Retrieved 2021-04-05.
  50. ^ Teddy Tinson (3 November 2014), Message in a Bottle Interview.
  51. ^ Who Is the Brioni Man?, Vanityfair.com, 12 November 2014
  52. ^ Jennifer Weil (3 December 2019), Brioni, Lalique Group Ink Fragrance License Women's Wear Daily.
  53. ^ Alessandra Turra (31 May 2012), Brioni Launching Sunglasses Line Women's Wear Daily.
  54. ^ Brioni reaffirms bond to legendary men with Samuel L. Jackson-fronted effort, Luxurydaily.com, 14 March 2017
  55. ^ Sir Anthony Hopkins Is The Face For Brioni Fall 2017 Campaign, Daman.co.id, 1 August 2017
  56. ^ Harvey Keitel face of Brioni in latest campaign, Arabnews.com, 1 February 2018
  57. ^ Palmieri, Jean E. (2018-09-21). "Brioni Taps Pierce Brosnan for Fall Ads". WWD. Archived from the original on 2018-09-22. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  58. ^ Brioni taps Matt Dillon for new 'Tailoring Legends'campaign, MMr-mag.com, 10 July 2019
  59. ^ Brioni Taps Brad Pitt as Brand Ambassador, Wwd.com, 18 November 2019
  60. ^ Luisa Zargani (25 January 2022), EXCLUSIVE: Brioni Names Jude, Raff Law Brand Ambassadors Women's Wear Daily.
  61. ^ James Bond: The 6 designers of the 007 suits from the last 50 years, Designlovr.com
  62. ^ Dress like Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, Apetogentleman.com, 28 October 2015
  63. ^ So How’s the Script for the Coen Brothers’ ‘Burn After Reading,’ Starring Pitt and Clooney?, Vulture.com, 21 May 2007
  64. ^ Safronova, Valeriya (30 September 2016). "The Mystery of Trump's Suits, Solved". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
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