Brioni is perhaps the most widely recognized men’s tailored clothing brand in the world, and for good reason. The Italian clothier practically invented the term “power suit” with its strong-shouldered, broad-chested style of suit making. Made in the company’s own factory in Penne, in the southern Abruzzo region of Italy, these suits are mostly handmade and incorporate as many as 33 proprietary details, from cashmere under the collar (at your request) to twice-sewn buttonholes and inside lapels not found on a typical man’s bespoke suit. Focusing on its motto “to be one of a kind,” Brioni continuously raises the bar when it comes to offering exclusive fabrics and customized services few other luxury brands offer. Last year, for instance, the company partnered with Belgian cloth supplier Dormeuil for the exclusive first rights to Vanquish II, a proprietary blend of vicuna, pashmina, and qiviuk that the Italian suit maker is using to produce a limited-edition clothing line. Because the mix of fibers is so rare, the completely handmade-to-order suits are limited to 150 worldwide. This year the company is also making a concerted effort to engage a more contemporary suit wearer with the introduction of the Senato, a slimmer-cut suit featuring a jacket with wide classic lapels and trousers devoid of pleats. The brand is also a big proponent of the three-piece suit, which is now rendered in cashmere, worsted vicuna, and fine micron wools, many with overlapping micro and macro patterns.
Inside Information
In 1985 Brioni became the first Italian tailoring company to open a school to train new tailors. Called the Nazareno Fonticoli Scuolo Superiore di Sartoria, after one of the brand’s two founders, the four-year college–located within the Brioni factory in Penne–takes students step-by-step through the 220 manufacturing processes used to create a typical Brioni suit.
