Brioni - The Most Elite Of Suits
The name Brioni first appeared in 1945, when tailor Nazareno Fonticoli and designer Gaetano Savini opened their first men's fashion house located in Rome.
Along the way, in the history of fashion, the Brioni brand has not only changed the "face" of men's clothing but has even helped define contemporary luxury.
Brioni's made-to-measure suits were luxury products aimed at aristocratic clients, who have remained loyal to the brand over the years thanks to the quality offered.
Brioni's Italian style expressed a new way of dressing for men in the post-war period and was immediately accepted because it brought innovative elements to classic tailoring.
A Brioni suit (Source: Screenshot Youtube)
18 Hours For One Coat
Every season, 2,000 tailors create different Brioni designs (any size). A quarter of the made-to-order production goes to an elite of 25,000 customers who order a minimum of two or three coats/suits per season.
One of the largest orders is for a sultan: over 100 suits in a single month.
It takes 18 hours to make a garment, not counting the hours dedicated to finishing.
There are no less than 5,000 types of fabrics at Brioni that this brand offers to the customer. Their impeccable tailoring has created the brand name known for perfectionism and quality.
Style Not Fashion
Umberto Angeloni, who is CEO of Casa Brioni, said that "Brioni means style, not fashion".
"Our products are timeless but evolve with men. The changes that occur in suits come from customers, not from the whims of a tired designer. Brioni's fabrics are lighter, more durable, and don't wrinkle, meeting the demands of men who travel and multi-task these days.
These days, most brands tend to promote the brand itself, and not the tradition, as they are moving their products in a different direction. What would it be like to say, 'We started making handmade suits in Tuscany and now we actually make them in China?'" continued Angeloni.
24,000 euro for one suit
Brioni's style is born in the company's workshops in Rome and Milan, where experienced tailors make suits with their customers' precise measurements in mind. Brioni men's lines appear at fashion shows in Milan, Stockholm, San Francisco, Dallas or Dusseldorf.
A well-known collection dedicated to men is the one named after Gabriele D'Annunzio - a modern Cyrano de Bergerac of Italy.
Alongside the main line, Brioni also produces sportswear, formal, and evening wear, luxury pajamas, robes, ties, jackets etc.
The brand also offers a line of clothing sold exclusively through the luxury department store chain Neiman Marcus. Brioni ready-to-wear suits can be priced between €3,600 and €5,500, while bespoke suits start at €4,000 and can go up to €24,000.
Customers
In the 1950s, Rome became a favorite holiday destination for Hollywood stars and celebrities who bought their clothes from Brioni: Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Rock Hudson, Robert Kennedy, Anthony Quinn, John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Richard Burton, Tony Bennett, Jim Belushi, Robert Wagner, Peter Jennings, Johnny Carson and Al Pacino.
Actor Pierce Brosnan, for example, had a complete Brioni wardrobe in the James Bond films Golden Eye and Tomorrow Never Dies.
Brioni is also billionaire Donald Trump's favorite brand.
A Brand Where Russian Dictator Putin's Nationalism Disappears
But the products of the House of Brioni are so good that even Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who seems to consider himself in an eternal war with the West, prefers them.
Putin talks about the corrupting influence of the West and the importance of import substitution in a Brioni suit from Italy. (Source: Screenshot - X)
Recently, the Russian dictator who launched the bloody invasion of neighboring Ukraine sparked furious reactions on the internet after he appeared during a speech at an economic forum wearing an expensive suit from Italian brand Brioni.
Recently, the Russian dictator who launched the bloody invasion of neighboring Ukraine sparked furious reactions on the internet after he appeared during a speech at an economic forum wearing an expensive suit from Italian brand Brioni.
As he droned on about confronting the West and the importance of import substitution, Vladimir Putin raised his right hand, revealing the Brioni logo on his jacket. The cost of such a suit is about $8,000, not including the cost of customization.
But Italy, in addition to its NATO membership, is actively helping Ukraine with weapons and military equipment. And the fact that Putin was wearing a suit from the famous Italian firm caused a storm of outrage on social media, where the Russian president was accused of hypocrisy and lying.
"There he is, a patriot-import! In an $8,000 suit from an enemy NATO brand," one Russian commenter wrote ironically.
"Recently he was talking about the need to wear native clothes! Where is his vaunted 'Russian world'?" asks another.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time Putin has found himself in an awkward situation because of his love for expensive brands.
He has previously been seen wearing a $300,000 Breguet watch and $10,000 Loro Piana shoes.
He also likes expensive Italian down jackets. Such incidents only fuel Russian discontent with Putin, who, while hailing the values of patriotism and import substitution, himself prefers to use luxury goods from "hostile" countries.
