Brioni celebrates its 80th anniversary in Rome

Brioni, the greatest expression of Roman sartorial luxury, celebrated its 80th anniversary on Friday with a showcase of beautiful tailoring and a gala dinner.

Movie stars like Regé-Jean Page, Sean Teale and Ed Speleers; Korean sensation Lee Soo Hyuk; Local Italian actors such as Luca Argentaro and Stefano Accorsi appeared alongside a gang from VIC and the largest buyer of American men's fashion, Bruce Pask of Bergdorf Goodman.

They all cut a sartorial swath through the Chiostro del Bramante, a magnificent cloister designed by Donato Bramante, the master architect who brought the High Renaissance style to Rome.

Like the beautifully proportioned building, Brioni's clothing is all about a harmoniously elegant and understated panache.

An ingenious presentation in the cloister celebrated the history of Brioni, the first menswear brand to present a catwalk show, back in 1952 at the legendary Sala Bianca in Florence.

Founded as Casa di Alta Moda Maschile in 1945, as Italy emerged from the ruins of World War II, Brioni became an emblem of Italian gentlemanly elegance. When founders Gaetano Savini and Nazareno Fonticoli began taking their first collections on tour across the United States, they effectively invented the trunk show. Although polished, Brioni was always innovative, and once filled the Waldorf Astoria ballroom for a dramatic show in 1964.

Stockman sported gorgeous tuxedos worn by the likes of Oscar Isaac and Marcello Mastroianni, who dressed Brioni in Fellini's “La Dolce Vita.” Like Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig in several James Bond films.

Since 2011, Brioni has been part of the Kering luxury empire, based in Paris. And designed since 2018 by the brilliant Austrian men's couturier Norbert Stumpfl, famous for his combination of perfect tailoring and innovative fabrics, such as tuxedos with 24-karat gold threads or enzyme-altered silk linens with unique hairy hands. During her tenure, Brioni has also deftly diversified into women's fashion, expressing quiet luxury with rare poise.

He hosted the dinner with Federico Arrigoni, named CEO in May, while guests dined on crispy artichokes and cacio e pepe risotto.

“Since Brioni was born in Rome 80 years ago, he has shaped the meaning of masculine elegance for generations. Tonight, it is not just about the past. It is about the future. What we are experiencing tonight is a turning point for us. It is a moment to reaffirm who we are, but a moment to commit to the next chapter of this extraordinary story. Innovate while staying true to our essence and continuing to define the codes of contemporary Italian elegance,” Arrigoni said in a short speech.

The dinner was followed by a jazz performance by the famous singer Mario Biondi, who commented: “In Rome you often see very beautiful and elegant women. But it is rare, like tonight, to see such handsome and elegant men!”

Afterwards, the guests enjoyed drinks and negronis inside the cloister's sacristy, where beauty and elegance reigned.

“The point is that girls now love Brioni as much as men,” explained Isabella Ferrari, the slender blonde Italian actress, dressed in an impeccably cut black pantsuit.

Ferrari meets Jep Gambardella, the protagonist of Paolo Sorrentino's “La Grande Bellezza”, that masterpiece of Italian cinema that is an ode to art, decadence and the most sophisticated parties in the world.

When Jep asks what he was doing, Ferrari's character replies, “I'm rich.”

This is exactly what everyone wearing Brioni looked like on Friday night.