According to artistic director Jason Basmajian, Brioni, one
of the Italian suit makers of record, has shaved 15 years off of its
demographic. Under Basmajian, the house is headed in a more youthful—though no
less luxe—direction. It's no less tailored, either. "We still believe in
the three-piece," Basmajian said. Faith in the suit is one of the big
stories in Milan this season, but Brioni is no fair-weather friend. They've
been making them for generations.
The youth comes in courtesy of slimmer, shorter cuts that
hew closer to the body, and lighter constructions and fabrics. (Despite the
Fall season, many of the jackets are unlined.) The original Brioni man might
not have dreamed of wearing one of his suits with a denim shirt and a knit tie,
but the new one would. There are topcoats and car coats the old fellow would
recognize, and a new one, the jewel-toned Foglia coat in deep purple
double-faced cashmere, that maybe he wouldn't. Brioni is betting that if you
build it right—right to the tune of 5,000 hand stitches per jacket, 80 percent
of them hidden invisibly on the inside—they will come. When you're talking
about a sporty suede hooded parka fully lined in mink, that pilgrimage starts
to look like a trip to Lourdes.
But luxury has a way of curdling if it's worn without some
levity. Brioni addressed the fact head-on with a presentation starring both
models and real men, chatting, playing poker, hanging out. They included a
handful of Italian businessmen, the spirits heir and perfume-maker Kilian Hennessy,
and Vegard Vik, chief of special services for the Oslo police.
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