was a teenager when his family decided to relocate from the farm where they had been living in Castel Rigone to move closer to the sea. That move required that his father find a new position to support the family, and he did, as a factory worker.
“When I first came here, I didn’t have a dollar in my pocket, but you decided to buy our sweaters,” he said, adding that 40 percent of Solomeo “belongs to you, Americans.” After accepting his award, Cucinelli sat in conversation with WWD Milan bureau chief Luisa Zargani to give a peek inside his head and his heart and described what have been his driving forces during his 71 years on earth.
Between 15 and 25 I did not study anything. Three years at an engineering faculty, I sat for one single exam. I spent 10 years playing pranks. Pranks and jokes are really part and parcel of Italian culture. That’s when I fell in love with, too. I developed a liking for it, and I set up this micro business. I wanted my human beings to work surrounded by beautiful places because being a factory worker . . .
Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor, we still read his book because it’s really charming. He says live according to nature. Find peace for yourself, because it could be the last day of your life. But you should design and think forever.