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Brunello Cucinelli has built his namesake fashion empire on Italian values: preservation of tradition and craft, the importance of local community, and – as any guest to the 12th-century hamlet of Solomeo, in Umbria, where the brand is based, can attest – gracious hospitality and good food (so much so, Mr Cucinelli’s dinners have become synonymous with vast bowls of paccheri pasta and golden drizzles of his own small-batch olive oil).
But Brunello Cucinelli is also a family business, with his two daughters – Carolina and Camilla Cucinelli – serving as vice presidents and creative co-directors, while living and working in Solomeo with their own families. ‘It is good to hear when a company reaches its sixth generation: that's what my grandfather would say, that's what my father would say. It is the value of guardianship and generation turnover,’ Mr Cucinelli wrote in a recent essay about the importance of family to his business.
The story behind Brunello Cucinelli’s ‘BC Duo’ bag
The ‘BC Duo’ bag, available at shop.brunellocucinelli.com
It’s why the house’s ‘BC Duo’ handbag – which arrives this March – represents something of a torch-passing moment, marking the first bag to be designed by the sisters. A softly structured tote, its design features geometric panels that loosely recall the ’BC’ of the house’s initials, and allow it to be folded inwards on each side to create a more compact silhouette. The sisters envisage it for everyday wear, particularly the largest shopper style which appeals to our own throw-it-all-in mentality (there are four sizes in total, including ‘medium’, ‘small’ and ‘mini’ iterations).
The sisters tell Wallpaper* that the inspiration came from ‘the idea of duality – two elements that come together to create something greater than the sum of their parts,’ with the bag embodying ‘tradition and innovation, simplicity and sophistication, functionality and beauty. [It’s like] the balance we strive for in life.’
The sisters at work. ‘We share an innate understanding of each other’s perspectives and a deep sense of trust,’ they say
As for designing as sisters, Carolina and Camilla call the conception of the bag a ‘truly special experience’. ‘We share an innate understanding of each other’s perspectives and a deep sense of trust, which allows us to challenge one another creatively,’ they say. ‘[Our] synergy allows us to create something unique – both our voices are present, but the final product is balanced.’
For S/S 2025, the ‘BC Duo’ comes in an array of fabrics, from classic calfskin and suede – long used for Brunello Cucinelli’s hand-crafted accessories – to bolder lamé and metallic finishes. Choosing a favourite is impossible, say Carolina and Camilla, though they sway towards the ‘soft, neutral’ shades of taupe and ivory – the hues with which Brunello Cucinelli has long been synonymous. Like father, like daughters.
The ‘BC Duo’ series is available from Brunello Cucinelli’s website and stores worldwide.
