MILAN — “The most recurring word is opportunity,” said Federico Arrigoni, chief executive officer of Brioni in his first, and exclusive, interview since his appointment in May last year.
Long passionate about the brand, he confided that “the company is even more beautiful from within than from the outside. The heart of Brioni in Penne is extraordinary,” he said, referring to the Italian town where the menswear designs take shape, touting the “more than 600 tailors with exceptional skills. This is not a given, it takes years of training to reach that level of expertise.”
One of his goals is to communicate Brioni’s values because, while admitting there is “a very loyal customer base, we can still raise the brand awareness.”
While the U.S. and Europe are strong markets, Brioni is still not that well-known in Asia and Greater China, he said. “We want to avoid overexposure, but compared to competitors, the level of knowledge about Brioni can be much higher, and there are still many opportunities,” he contended.
“We want to stay true to the history of the brand; this is a story based on solid foundations, excellent sartorial tradition and contemporary elegance and style. Our success stems from the combination of the two.”
Arrigoni succeeded Mehdi Benabadji, who held the same role since January 2020 and moved on to Ginori 1735 as CEO. He reports to Francesca Bellettini, Brioni parent Kering’s deputy CEO in charge of brand development.
Arrigoni brings to Brioni extensive experience in luxury. He joined Kering in 2006 at Gucci and was subsequently appointed worldwide human resources director at Saint Laurent in 2015. Since then he held key international positions at the storied French brand including Asia-Pacific president and chief commercial officer. In 2023 he was appointed Saint Laurent deputy CEO, directly overseeing all industrial operations and commercial activities for the brand.
Federico Arrigoni
He began his career at Decathlon in 1996, and in 2002, he moved to Autogrill as HR manager. In 2004, he was appointed Europe HR manager at Dolce & Gabbana.
Shortly after his arrival at Brioni, in December, design director Norbert Stumpfl parted ways with the brand. The Austrian designer had joined Brioni seven years earlier, succeeding Nina-Maria Nitsche.
Arrigoni said he wanted to shift the focus on the “ingredients that are the bases of Brioni’s success,” aiming to highlight the house’s “excellent construction, superior techniques, and innovative shapes, silhouettes, colors and fabrics,” moving away from “too fashion-oriented styles.”
Recalling the origins of Brioni, he said the founders in 1945, the tailor Nazareno Fonticoli and Gaetano Savini — who was “similar to an artistic director, very concrete, with a strong commercial sense, but also a visionary,” he said — pursued innovation, working with slimmer shapes in bold colors and lighter materials. “Of course Brioni needs creativity to be renewed every season, but elegance and style are different from fashion. Brioni is an icon of Italian contemporary style,” said Arrigoni.
To further deliver a message of quality, Brioni is launching Maestria, a personalization, made-to-order and made-to-measure service that spans all categories. “There are no limits and we offer exclusive and personal wardrobes with an incomparable level of excellence. Maestria is the pinnacle of personalization and customization service,” Arrigoni said.
Brioni Spring 2027
The designs may take between eight to 10 weeks and three fittings with Brioni’s tailors to be completed, depending on the level of personalization. Clearly, this reflects Arrigoni’s aim to further elevate Brioni’s already high positioning in the industry. He is confident “clients recognize Brioni’s quality.”
Brioni had recently been developing women’s looks and Arrigoni is not discontinuing these drops, adding that “women are also showing interest in Maestria.”
He underscored that “we don’t have the ambition to become a huge brand and we don’t want to compromise. Customers appreciate us for our authenticity.”
With the quality of its suits, Brioni has also garnered loyal A-listers, from William Abadie and Tom Cruise to Kevin Costner and Andy Garcia. The connection to Hollywood dates back to the Cinecittà days, when actors from Cary Grant to Clark Gable discovered Brioni, which was founded in Rome.
Brioni Spring 2027
The U.S. remains Brioni’s main market, said Arrigoni. “Europe also performs well and we have great feedback from the Middle East, where we have two stores in Dubai. Now we need to grow in Asia.”
There are around 40 Brioni stores in the world, but Arrigoni also highlighted the importance of the brand’s wholesale accounts, its trunk shows and home service.
Asked about the arrival of Kering’s CEO Luca de Meo and the company’s Capital Markets Day in Florence in April, Arrigoni enthused about the “energy and confidence” the executive shared and his aim for Brioni to become “an industrial platform of excellence for other brands” in the Kering portfolio. “His passion motivates us all,” Arrigoni said.
Determined to nurture the tailors of tomorrow, Brioni — which has been controlled by Kering since 2011 — last October unveiled the Nazareno Fonticoli School of Haute Tailoring, further strengthening the close relationship of the company with the Penne town and the Abruzzo territory.
