At Brunello Cucinelli, craftsmanship is rarely used for showing off. The paradox of this season’s collection was that techniques that could easily qualify as feats of engineering were made to look almost instinctive. Raffia became Viennese canework; crochet acquired sculptural dimension; mesh and honeycomb textures played with transparency; denim was treated with almost couture-level finesse. And yet nothing screamed “look what we can do.” Quite the opposite.
A slim-fit blazer translated the octagonal pattern of Vienna straw, traditionally associated with furniture, into an intricate raffia construction; the same motif appeared in hand-crocheted knitwear, worked in an unusually soft, matte raffia. Behind the apparent simplicity lies serious technical research: creativity and know-how remain happily inseparable.
The knitwear continued the sleight of hand. A cloudlike dandelion motif, seemingly blown into shape by the wind, and a wool jumper in “Botanical Lace” turned elaborate handwork into something remarkably light. Crochet, dimensional embroidery and special shaping techniques gave familiar stitches new volume and transparency. The workmanship was formidable; the attitude decidedly not.
That is where the collection became most convincing. Elaborately worked pieces were paired with masculine shirts, cropped cargo trousers, ankle-tied pants, long skirts and abbreviated shorts. Blazers and blousons borrowed the delicacy of crochet, while utility silhouettes were softened by fluid fabrics and feminine detailing. Even the more dramatic pieces retained the practicality of Cucinelli’s everyday wardrobe. Nothing seemed to require a special occasion, or how-to-wear-it instructions.
Materials enjoyed the same freedom of association: raffia met organza, sailor stripes picked up flashes of gold, structured cottons encountered airy handmade surfaces. Shirts borrowed from bombers and trenches; organza, striped poplin and denim gave outerwear a summery ease.
The real trick was the distance between the labour involved and the effortlessness of the result. The clothes may take considerable skill to make, but they looked as though had simply fallen into place. The Cucinelli savoir-faire is less about displaying virtuosity than making virtuosity disappear: the harder the handwork, the more natural the gesture.
