EXCLUSIVE: Brioni Celebrates Its Decades of Sartorial Tradition in New Book
Brioni is celebrating its decades of sartorial tradition and heritage in a new coffee-table book slated to be published by Assouline in February.
Written by fashion historian Olivier Saillard, “Brioni: Tailoring Legends” chronicles the rise of the Rome-based Italian tailor, now owned by Kering, from the ashes of World War II to its position as the go-to sartorial destination for, as the book states, “Nobel Prize winners, rap stars and heads of state.”
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The 264-page volume contains hundreds of rarely seen material drawn from the house’s archives alongside new photographs of archival garments.
In the foreword, American novelist Bret Easton Ellis summarized the attraction of Brioni when recalling the first suit he bought from the tailor.
Presented with a “surprisingly very simple: two-button, navy blue” so much so that he didn’t “[expect it] to make much of an impression, since it seemed so basic,” he found it to hit the spot by being “chic, but it was invisible, it didn’t loudly announce itself,” he wrote. “The suit was, I thought, the most beautiful and comfortable I’d ever worn: so simple, so streamlined… effortlessly flattering.”
Courtesy of Assouline
Founded in 1945 by Gaetano Savini and tailor Nazareno Fonticoli, “Atelier Brioni” was named after the Croatian Brijuni archipelago, then under Italian rule. It is credited with ushering in the era of Italian tailoring of bold colors and lighter materials, which contrasts with the strictures of its Savile Row counterparts.
“To understand how Brioni could emerge, poised on the cusp of major change, it helps to contextualize it among other sartorial movements that challenged fashion conventions of men,” wrote Saillard, explaining in great detail how the post-War era led to Savini’s quest for a “‘New Look’ for men” and tying together the rise of Brioni with the Peacock Revolution that saw the men’s wear wardrobe go from drab to fab.
The book also considers how cinema and the movie industry helped the sartorial label carve a spot in the public eye, starting with its links to the “Hollywood on the Tiber” milieu around Rome’s Cinecittà studios to being ubiquitous on red carpets and silver screens — from Clark Gable and John Wayne to several James Bonds, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Will Smith.
Its final section pays homage to Brioni’s know-how and its now 1,000-strong workforce, noting that the house created a tailoring school as early as 1985 to ensure master tailors can pass on their skills. It also serves as a gallery showcasing some of the individuals who have worn the brand, including Pharrell Williams, Drake, Frieze art fair founder Matthew Slotover, 2013 Nobel Prize laureate in chemistry Michael Levitt and the icon Nelson Mandela.
The book will be released in English in mid-February, retailing for 195 euros, or $195.
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