Latest news with #Umbrian
Wall Street Journal
14 hours ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Tariffs and Conglomerates Are Chasing Them. Italy's Biggest Fashion Families Are Unfazed.
One morning this spring, Brunello Cucinelli whistled as he strode from a cafe he'd just finished refurbishing to the 14th-century castle that houses one of the 130 stores in his luxury sportswear empire. From the top of the hill that crowns Solomeo, the Umbrian hamlet where he's lived and worked for four decades, nearly everything in view had been touched by Cucinelli in one way or another: low-lying modern factory buildings home to his operation, but also a theater, a soccer field and production facilities for both wine and olive oil. An agrarian park, open to the handful of villagers who don't work for the company (1,500 are Cucinelli employees), contains Cucinelli's travertine Tribute to Human Dignity. 'Every human being,' Cucinelli said, 'is supposed to live where they were born.' This is why, even as he built his eponymous brand from a collection of a few dozen sweaters to a swaggering empire heavy on the casually luxe Italian style philosophy known as sprezzatura, Cucinelli remained here in Solomeo, where he's lived since 1985, and where his wife, Federica, was born. His daughters, Carolina and Camilla, were born here, too, and now live in town with their spouses ('the husbands,' Carolina calls them). All four work for the company.
Euronews
5 days ago
- Euronews
Fashion designer Brunello Cucinelli gets doctorate in architecture
'When we build, let us think that we build forever,' Italian fashion designer Brunello Cucinelli quoted English polymath John Ruskin at an address to celebrate being the first recipient of an honorary doctorate in 'Design for Made in Italy: Identity, Innovation, and Sustainability'. The same quote is inscribed on a plaque in the centre of Solomeo, the hamlet which Cucinelli has made the home of his family, business and spiritual life since 1985. Once a crumbling site at the top of a hill among the rolling Umbrian countryside, it has been lovingly restored over the years thanks to funds from the Cucinelli enterprise. It is for this that he's been honoured at the University of Campania by a group of universities and specialists in the field of architecture, as well as the extension of this work to the surrounding Umbrian region. It is the first time the designer has received an award for architecture. In 2010 the designer, famed for his luxurious cashmere knitwear, and his wife, established Fondazione Brunello e Federica Cucinelli which has had a significant and lasting impact on the Umbrian region. The Italian region is characterised by medieval towns, monasteries and lush green fields and hills which make it a popular holiday and wedding destination, but the countless historic sites present a challenge to maintain. 'I firmly believe in the duty to preserve this legacy,' says Cucinelli. 'In losing our memories, we would lose ourselves. Moreover, safeguarding history means giving substance to the future.' Walking around Perugia, the region's capital, you won't find the Cucinelli name celebrated on a plaque or in the name of a building, but the family's influence is everywhere. It's in the pink tones of the Roman inscription on the city's Etruscan arch landmark, which hadn't been visible to present-day visitors until the Cucinelli Foundation restored it in 2014. It's in the beautifully refurbished interiors of the Morlacchi theatre, which has remained open to residents thanks to funding given in 2017 and the fresh façade of the cathedral they supported in 2022. In 2018, Brunello Cucinelli sold a 6% share in his eponymous company to add a further €100 million to the foundation. The foundation's current ongoing projects include a library in Solomeo and the rebuilding of the medieval village of Castelluccio di Norcia which was destroyed in an earthquake in 2016. Many of Italy's fashion houses have contributed to the restoration of the country's historic landmarks. Fendi donated €2 million to the restoration of the Trevi Fountain in 2013, Salvatore Ferragamo renovated a wing of the Uffizi Gallery in 2015 and Bulgari sponsored work on the Spanish Steps in 2016. While these projects are necessary and worthwhile, there's something particularly special about Cucinelli's ongoing work on a local level in the region he clearly loves so deeply. The projects also go beyond preserving history, with many having tangible benefits for the wider community too. Culture, education and spirituality are at the heart of many of them. 'I have learned that architecture is made for mankind,' he explains. Brunello Cucinelli was born in the rural Umbrian village of Castel Rigone, around 20km from Solomeo. He met his wife, Federica, in her hometown of Solomeo when they were teenagers and the couple set up home in the hamlet which today is home to around 700 other residents. It's also now home to their two daughters, Camilla and Carolina, along with their husbands, all of whom work in the company, and their children. Down in the valley next to the hamlet is the Brunello Cucinelli factory and offices which provide work to around 700 employees. The space is bright and clean, with large windows that look out onto the manicured lawns and surrounding countryside, a luxury many fashion workers don't get in city warehouses. Lunch breaks are an hour and a half, no one eats at their desk, and everyone leaves on time at the end of the day. 'That time is for your soul,' says the entrepreneur. Even among his own family, they don't talk business at the dinner table. Cucinelli has a reputation as 'fashion's philosopher', and his speech at the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli was littered with the thoughts and words of great thinkers: Kant, St Francis, St Benedict, Xenophanes, Emperor Hadrian and many more. He's driven by his own philosophy of 'humanistic capitalism'. Unlike many capitalists though, he thinks far into the future. The old workshops of the company in Solomeo are kept in a way that they could be returned into residential apartments should the company no longer need them. The spaces are currently being used, however, to train future generations of artisans. 'I'm not concerned about who will buy luxury in the future, I'm concerned about who will make it,' Cucinelli says. The School of Contemporary High Craftsmanship and Arts opened in 2013 offers programmes which directly support the company's outputs, such as pattern cutting, tailoring and mending, but also horticulture, gardening and masonry, skills which he believes need preserving for the wider world. Since Brunello Cucinelli went public in 2012, its market capitalisation has grown from €530 million to €6.5 billion, a dream come true for any entrepreneur. However, it's clear from what he's done with this fortune over the past 15 years that his dreams go bigger than business success, bigger than the company itself and bigger than his own lifetime. As he collects his honorary doctorate in architecture he muses about his own company, but also calls on the room to consider the impact of their own actions, saying: 'The future is not wholly ours, nor is it wholly not ours.' The appeal of butter yellow — luminous, optimistic, sunny — is undeniable. Some fashion industry leading lights are dubbing it "the new neutral", applauding its versatility and compatibility with a whole host of staples like blue denim and black. And like butter, it slips into one's repertoire with ease. At legendary London department store Selfridges, which boasts its own iconic chrome yellow brand and packaging, the new variant is across the store. 'We've seen butter yellow spread across the runway for SS25, with brands Alaia, Toteme and 16Arlington all presenting soft, pale yellow hues across various silhouettes and accessories," says Laurie Field, Selfridges Buying Manager. "We of course have been long-term advocates of the colour yellow, but the sunny shade is sometimes overlooked. Try Lemaire's fortune croissant bag, Khaite's zesty, cashmere jumper, and Posse's airy linen set.' The shade is trending at all levels from couture to high street. At Uniqlo, where British born Clare Waight Keller is the new(ish) creative director, you can find it in soft ribbed jersey polo tops, bra tops and pocketable UV protection zip jackets. Having done her time at designer brands and houses Givenchy, Chloe and Gucci, Waight Keller is bringing her prowess to one of the most powerful movers in high street retail. 'It is a whole new territory for me and leads me deep into technological and material advances, as well as overseeing the colour, silhouettes and styles," she explains. Butter yellow has even seeped into the rarefied echelons of haute couture. Australian born couturier, Tamara Ralph, made it a focus of her January collection shown in Paris. Yellow is a natural fit for the sunny antipodean designer, who's known for her dreamy, flamboyant gowns favoured by stars including Bella Hadid and Priyanka Chopra. "In my opinion, the right colour can completely transform a look and its overall feeling," says Ralph, who fashioned a gorgeous, airy off-the-shoulder taffeta gown and a crystal siren gown embellished with ostrich feather pom poms in the hue. "Butter yellow — or as I refer to it, baby yellow — brings with it an element of joy and cheerfulness, but in such a way that is still elegant and innately feminine: it is more quietly luxurious than a bright hued yellow." Butter yellow is also being championed by fine jewellery designers like Cora Sheibani, who specialises in highly artful one-off pieces. 'I am currently using lots of citrines, which my stone cutter calls Palmeira citrine," she says. "It has a beautiful deep colour that pairs so well with other stones and looks great on most people. "I have also just designed a fabulous piece with a huge round Sphalerite, which looks like the sun and is a stone I have never worked with before but am very excited about.' But where does a fad for a colour really gain momentum? Recall a famous scene in The Devil Wears Prada in which Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) lectures Andrea Sachs (Anne Hathaway) about the rise of cerulean blue, and high fashion's authority to declare what colours unwitting consumers will soon be wearing. 'It's not just blue, it's not turquoise, it's not lapis, it is cerulean,' says Priestly, explaining how cerulean trickled down from the runway to wind up colouring Sachs' bulky cable knit sweater. "That blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs, and it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing a sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room. From a pile of 'stuff'." But butter yellow isn't so much trickling down as crashing over the industry in an exuberant wave. The exact tone would have been decided upon over three years ago as dye manufacturers, trend forecasters and fabric makers decide on the colour palette of the 2025 season. Those materials will have been shown at trade fairs, including Premiere Vision in Paris, where designers chose the palette and order the fabrics that help guide the look and feel of a collection. If butter yellow or BarbieCore pink (2024) or cerulean blue is trending, there's a commercial imperative to work with that direction. Fashion only changes with a consensus shift. Early adopters help. Take Timothée Chalamet in his custom-made butter yellow suit at the Oscars, which was designed by Givenchy's new creative director, Sarah Burton. He looked fresh and playful set against the traditionalists in black tie. His appearance heralded a new chapter at Givenchy and kickstarted a mass fashion trend; since then, Rihanna, Sabrina Carpenter and Hailey Bieber have all donned butter yellow super boosting the vibe. Tempted? An easy buy is Chanel Le Vernis nail polish in Ovni. "I think that, generally, more designers and brands are embracing the use of colour," says Ralph. "And colour in unexpected hues. With yellow specifically, you often see tones of mustard, lemon and even veering into more of a cream, but butter yellow offers a fresh, new take. "The colour in and of itself stands out and is best paired with a well-tailored suit or separates or — on the opposite end of the spectrum — well-draped, billowy gowns with little or otherwise subtle embellishment that allow it to truly shine." This colour turnover is one way for the fashion industry to signal "freshness", and it's arguably the versatility of the shade that gives it its true power. 'Butter yellow is a gentle way to introduce colour to your wardrobe, the new neutral," says Field at Selfridges. "It's easy to wear and flattering for all skin tones." Once you tune in, you'll be spotting the hue everywhere. Consider it a form of everyday gold.
Telegraph
20-05-2025
- Telegraph
This fun-loving Italian city remains untouched by mass tourism
'It's like a time machine,' says my new friend Fabrizio Croce, as he leads me down a long twilit tunnel within Perugia's ancient city walls. As darkness closes in around us, I soon see what he means. We board an escalator that carries us up and up, from the archaic foundations at the foot of this steep hill to the bustling citadel at the summit. We step out into the sunshine, and I realise we've traversed 3,000 years. We're standing in the Piazza Italia, surrounded by a sea of people. Some of them are here to eat and drink, in the sleek bars and cafés that surround this sunlit square, but most are simply drinking in the view. And what a view. Below us, lush countryside stretches far away into the heat haze on the horizon. Welcome to Umbria, aka the green heart of Italy. And welcome to Perugia, its underrated, relatively undiscovered capital. Like a lot of British travellers, I'd been to Tuscany several times before I even thought of visiting Umbria, its less fashionable and landlocked neighbour. More fool me. The gentle Umbrian countryside is just as beautiful as Tuscany, and since Umbria attracts fewer visitors, its landmarks are less crowded, and its hotels and restaurants tend to be better value. Umbria's main attraction is Assisi, the sacred homeland of St Francis, and it was St Francis who first lured me here a few years ago. Like many visitors to Umbria, I flew into Perugia's compact airport and then headed straight on to Assisi, about 10 miles away, without delay. When I told my Italian friends about my trip, they said I'd missed a treat. Unlike Assisi, Perugia isn't overrun with sightseers, they said. It's just as historic but a lot livelier, they said. I duly put Perugia on my Italian bucket list, and then promptly forgot all about it. With no must-see sights, it's the sort of holiday destination you tend to put off for another day. Last month, that day finally arrived – and it turns out my Italian friends were right. Perugia has all the essential elements of a classic city break: fascinating art and architecture, fantastic food and drink. Why had I never got around to coming here before? Perugia is such a pleasant spot, it's easy to forget it owes its spectacular location to its warlike past. The battlements that surround the Old Town are enormous, started by the Etruscans, completed by the Romans, augmented during the Renaissance and reinforced in every successive century. You can trace each period of Perugia's long history in these robust walls. Chatting to Fabrizio, a suave and amiable middle-aged man who works for the Comune di Perugia (Perugia's city council), I'm relieved to hear I'm not the only Briton who's previously bypassed this handsome city. Sure, Assisi is wonderful, famous for its holy sites and precious frescos, but it's rooted in the past. Despite its antique architecture, Perugia is young at heart. The thing that gives Perugia its youthful buzz is its thriving university. Founded way back in 1308, it's one of the oldest universities in the world (only Oxford, Cambridge and half a dozen others are older). It boasts around 26,000 students, most of whom seem to be milling around the Piazza Italia when I arrive. There's also a smaller second university, solely for foreign students, which gives Perugia a cosmopolitan flavour that belies its modest population – barely 160,000, about the same size as Mansfield. Fabrizio was a student here, half a lifetime ago. Like a lot of people who come here to study, he never left. He was born and raised in Naples, but you can tell his heart is here. He's passionate about Perugia and his enthusiasm is infectious. Although he works for Perugia's city council, he's not a typical bureaucrat – he's spent most of his working life as a musician and music promoter. Stylish and slightly grungy, he personifies Perugia's laid-back, vaguely anarchic ambience. Perugia's mayor, Vittoria Ferdinandi, only 38, also has a background outside politics. As Fabrizio walks me round town, we bump into her, quite by chance. Perugia is that sort of place. Fabrizio's office is in the Palazzo dei Priori – an ornate, intimidating building in the heart of the Old Town (in the olden days, criminals were hurled to their deaths from its upper windows, into the street below). It has been the seat of the city council since it was built, in the 14th century. On the top floor is the Galeria Nazionale dell'Umbria ( Umbria's most important art gallery. Its Renaissance artworks are the big draw, above all the intimate religious paintings of Pietro Vannucci, aka Perugino (like a lot of Italian artists, he was nicknamed after his hometown). A pupil of Piero della Francesca and a teacher of Raphael, his tender pictures are still fresh and vivid, over 500 years after he painted them. Seeing them in a palazzo he would have visited really brings them back to life. Perugia's broad piazzas are impressive, but its narrow backstreets are more alluring. Here you'll find the best streetlife – winding lanes lined with dank boltholes where locals sip their potent, fierce espressos and swig big goblets of Torgiano and Montefalco, the smooth, seductive local wine. By day, exploring this labyrinth of blind alleys is exhilarating. After dark, it seems more sinister. For all its flair and bonhomie, this feels like a city with a hard edge. As I follow these dingy rat-runs down the hillside, I feel like a detective in a spooky thriller, lost in a maze of dead-ends and cryptic clues. 'Drinking cocktails saves the planet,' reads the graffiti on an alley wall. Thankfully, during my three days in Perugia, these creepy sensations were only fleeting. When the sun shines, Umbria's capital seems like a happy, hopeful place – somewhere I'm eager to revisit. As I head for the airport, already planning my return trip, I recall how Fabrizio's eyes lit up when he told me about the visit of Miles Davis to Perugia's famous jazz festival ( held here every summer. Herbie Hancock and Lionel Richie are the big names this year. Maybe I'll see you there. How to get there Ryanair flies direct to Perugia from London Stansted. Where to stay Built in 1884, in a prime site on the elegant Piazza Italia, the five-star Sina Brufani is the grande dame of Umbrian hotels. Highlights include dramatic views from the rooftop terrace, and a swimming pool in the medieval vaults, built upon Etruscan foundations. Doubles from €252 per night, including breakfast – very good value for such a smart hotel. Where to eat and drink It's hard to go wrong eating out in Perugia. Here, even the most basic places serve first-rate food and drink. For superb coffee and scrumptious cakes and chocolates, head for Sandri, a debonair pasticceria founded in 1860. It's on Corso Vannucci, Perugia's grandest boulevard. The best sit-down meal I ate was at La Taverna, a traditional Italian restaurant hidden down a back alley, which breathes fresh life into familiar staples, supplemented by some superb local wines.
Business Upturn
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Upturn
Is ‘Signora Volpe' returning for season 3? Everything we know so far
By Aman Shukla Published on May 11, 2025, 17:28 IST The captivating British-Italian mystery drama Signora Volpe has won over audiences with its blend of cozy crime-solving, stunning Umbrian scenery, and the charismatic Emilia Fox as former MI6 spy Sylvia Fox. After two successful seasons on Acorn TV, fans are eagerly asking: Will there be a Signora Volpe Season 3? Here's everything we know so far about the show's future. Signora Volpe Season 3 Renewal Status As of May 11, 2025, Acorn TV has not officially confirmed whether Signora Volpe will return for a third season. The show's second season concluded on August 12, 2024, and while it garnered positive reviews and strong fan support, the network has yet to announce a renewal or cancellation. According to sources like TV Next Season and , the status of Signora Volpe Season 3 remains 'fate to be determined,' with no official release date or confirmation. When Could Signora Volpe Season 3 Premiere? Without an official renewal, it's difficult to pinpoint a release date for Season 3. However, we can make an educated guess based on the show's production timeline: Season 1 premiered on May 2, 2022, after filming began in May 2021. Season 2 started filming in spring/summer 2023 and premiered on July 29, 2024. Assuming a similar schedule, if Acorn TV greenlights Season 3 in 2025, filming could begin in mid-2025, with a premiere potentially slated for late 2025 or early 2026. Aman Shukla is a post-graduate in mass communication . A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication ,content writing and copy writing. Aman is currently working as journalist at
The Guardian
20-04-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Who is Carlo Acutis, the computer prodigy who died at 15 and is to be first millennial saint?
He was a London-born teenager with leukaemia who spread his faith by building websites, later gaining the moniker 'God's influencer'. And now Carlo Acutis, a computer prodigy who died at the age of 15 in 2006, will become the first millennial canonised by the Catholic church next week, in St Peter's Square. Acutis used the several computer coding languages he learned in primary school to develop websites for his parish and the wider church, including one that tracked Catholic miracles. The Vatican has a path towards sainthood, which can only begin five years after a person's death. The Holy See studies the person's life, and keeps watch for the miracles necessary to secure a spot among the beatific. Acutis was put on the path after Pope Francis approved a miracle attributed to him: a seven-year-old boy from Brazil recovered from a rare pancreatic disorder after coming into contact with one of Acutis's T-shirts. A priest had also prayed to Acutis on behalf of the child. If a person undergoes an unexpected recovery, it can be classed as a miracle by the Vatican. If two miracles are attributed to a deceased person and approved by the pope, then they qualify for sainthood. Acutis's sainthood was confirmed when the pope approved the second miracle: a 21-year-old student in Costa Rica made a swift recovery after head trauma from a serious bicycle accident after her mother prayed for her daughter's recovery at Acutis's tomb in the Umbrian town of Assisi. As part of the pathway, Acutis's body was moved to the hill town of Assisi in central Italy, in line with his last wishes, since he admired Saint Francis. Acutis was entombed in Santa Maria Maggiore church with a wax mould of his likeness placed over his body, wearing his blue tracksuit top, jeans and trainers. Ever since, crowds have been gathering at the clear-sided casket. Tens of thousands more are expected to attend the canonisation service on 27 April. Vatican officials hope that the pope, who is still recovering from a serious bout of double pneumonia, will preside. Out of 912 people canonised by Pope Francis, the most recent birth date was previously 1926. Acutis was born in London in 1991 before moving to Milan with his Italian parents, Andrea Acutis and Antonia Salzano, as a child. Salzano previously told the newspaper Corriere della Sera that from the age of three her son would ask to visit churches they passed in Milan and would donate his pocket money to poor people in the city. She said Acutis would also offer to support classmates whose parents were going through divorces, would defend disabled peers when they were bullied and would take meals and sleeping bags to rough sleepers in Milan. She told Reuters that he was special, but also shared the same anxieties about fitting in as any other teenager: 'Carlo was an ordinary child like [others]. He used to play, to have friends, and to go to school. But his extraordinary quality was the fact that he opened the door of his heart to Jesus and put Jesus in the first place in his life.' She said her son lived an ascetic life in which he would not allow himself more than one pair of shoes at a time.
