Brioni

The name Brioni first appeared in 1945 when master tailor Nazareno Fonticoli and fashion designer Gaetano Savini opened one of the first men's fashion houses in Rome's central Via Barberini. The two partners named it Brioni after one of the most elegant resorts on the Adriatic coast. Its custom tailoring was a favourite haunt of Europe's aristocracy and has remained a reference point for quality shopping to this day.

Brioni's Italian style expressed a new way of dressing for men immediately after the first world war. It was instantly accepted because it managed to unite renewal with a classic stylish cut. Interest grew as the Brioni collections went from one success to the next and enthusiastic buyers flocked to the fashion shows. Their first historic show was held in 1952 at Palazzo Pitti in Florence and soon Brioni became the first true ambassador of men's fashion in the world.

In the 1950s when Rome became the Hollywood on the Tiber, movie celebrities began to buy their suits from Brioni. These included the like of Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Rock Hudson and many more. In 1954 Brioni held a fashion show in New York and then in eight other American cities. Those wer the years when all eyes were riveted on the Italian fashion scene and Brioni's "Roman style"scored successes and collected awards on both sides of the Atlantic. Brioni opened shops in all the major capitals.

In order to meet the demand of such a large clientele Brioni opened a factory in Abruzzo, where expert tailors hand sewed the main sections of the jackets and trousers, before adding the finishing touches by machine. In addition, Brioni purchased a shirt factory, a leather fashion house and later even brought out a women's line.

Every season 900 tailors the Brioni factory create 200 models in different styles and sizes. A quarter of the production consists of made to measure suits for an elite of 25,000 customers, who order two or three garments per season. History has it that once a Middle Eastern sultan ordered one hundred suits all in one month.

Each garment takes at least 18 hours of work, not counting the time that it must rest between adjustments. According to signor Savini-Brioni "wool is a living material that must adjust and breathe. Your suit will be pressed no less than 184 times during a 2 month period, the time you'll need to wait for it to be finished."

Brioni's fabrics (there are 5000 different fabrics to choose from) and impeccable cuts have made the name stand for perfectionism and quality.