Emilie HawtinAug 27, 2026 – 5.00amBrunello Cucinelli is sitting at the vast expanse of his white lacquered desk – it is so big it could easily seat 20 people. The 72-year-old is bursting with energy, drawing diagrams of circles and squares with black pen on tabloid-sized paper as he talks. He starts a fresh page for each idea as he illustrates the growth in his business, or a philosophical theory. As he scribbles, he insists there have been no changes to the framework he’s followed since 1978, the year he founded his eponymous label. “We want to survive for hundreds of years,” he says. “If you grow by 10 per cent every year, you grow slowly but steadily, and you stay exclusive.” You also play by your own rules.The last time Cucinelli and I spoke, in 2020, Italy was mid-COVID lockdown. Cucinelli was working from this same office, surrounded by soccer balls, books, framed letters and the sound of water from the fountain outside. He had guaranteed all staff their salaries, and went so far as to create poetic letters of gratitude to lift spirits.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles