Fashion Definitions — fashion history, brands and industry terms from Apparel Search
High-fashion clothing company Brioni was founded in 1945 by master tailor Nazareno Fonticoli and fashion designer Gaetano Savini. They opened their first suit shop in Rome's central Via Barberini after the close of World War II, and the company was named Brioni after the resort on the coast of the Adriatic Sea.
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Brioni's first fashion show was held in 1952 at the Palazzo Pitti. The show gained the company exposure to clients worldwide.
Celebrities began to buy their suits from Brioni in the 1950s when Rome became a popular vacation spot for wealthy Americans. Brioni clients include Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, John Wayne, Kirk Douglas and Rock Hudson. Brioni suits have appeared in a number of James Bond movies since 1995. Today, Brioni is a favorite of real estate mogul Donald Trump.
In 1954, Brioni held a fashion show in New York City, followed by shows in eight other American cities. That year, Brioni opened new shops on both sides of the Atlantic. Brioni's New York showrooms are located on 52nd Street and 57th Street in Manhattan.
In order to meet the demand of such a large clientele, Brioni opened a factory in Abruzzo, Italy, where expert tailors hand-sew jackets and trousers before adding the finishing touches by machine. Brioni also owns a shirt factory, a leather fashion house and a line of women's clothing.
Brioni's 900 tailors create 200 models in different styles and sizes every year. A quarter of the production consists of made-to-measure tailored suits for an elite of 25,000 customers.
It is rumored that a Middle Eastern sultan once ordered a staggering 100 suits from Brioni all in one month.
Each garment requires at least 18 hours of work, and there are more than 5,000 different fabrics to choose from. Ready-to-wear suits run from US$3,600 to $5,500, and the custom-tailored from $4,000 to $24,000. Brioni also offers a line of clothing sold exclusively through Neiman Marcus.
| The above article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia hhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/brioni 1/8/06 |
Designer Definition (from U.S Department of Labor)
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| Fashion Industry |
A Roman Suit Built Around HandworkBrioni's production model explains its pricing and its clientele. A factory in Abruzzo where expert tailors hand-sew jackets and trousers, with finishing touches added by machine, keeps the shaping and assembly in human hands for at least 18 hours per garment. Hand sewing allows a jacket to be built with softer structure and more gradual shaping than a fully machine-made garment, and it allows adjustments during construction rather than only at the end. With more than 5,000 different fabrics to choose from, the customer's choice of cloth becomes a genuine design decision, affecting weight, drape, pattern scale and formality before a single cut is made. Scale and exclusivity operate together here. Brioni's 900 tailors create 200 models in different styles and sizes every year, yet a quarter of production consists of made-to-measure tailored suits for an elite of 25,000 customers. That balance — a broad ready-to-wear range produced alongside a substantial made-to-measure business — is characteristic of high-end tailoring houses that grew beyond a single shop without abandoning individual fitting. From Palazzo Pitti to an International ClienteleThe 1952 show at the Palazzo Pitti mattered because a fashion show converts a tailoring shop into a name that distant clients can seek out. Exposure to clients worldwide followed, and in the 1950s, when Rome became a popular vacation spot for wealthy Americans, celebrities began to buy their suits from Brioni, including Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, John Wayne, Kirk Douglas and Rock Hudson. Shows in New York and eight other American cities in 1954, with shops opened on both sides of the Atlantic, turned visiting buyers into a permanent market. Appearances in James Bond movies since 1995 extended that screen association with well-dressed leading men to a new generation. Common QuestionsWho founded Brioni and when?Brioni was founded in 1945 by master tailor Nazareno Fonticoli and fashion designer Gaetano Savini, who opened their first suit shop in Rome's central Via Barberini after the close of World War II. From the beginning, Brioni suits were luxuries afforded to the privileged few, namely Europe's wealthy aristocrats. Where was Brioni's first fashion show and what did it achieve?Brioni's first fashion show was held in 1952 at the Palazzo Pitti, and the show gained the company exposure to clients worldwide. In 1954 Brioni held a fashion show in New York City, followed by shows in eight other American cities, and that year opened new shops on both sides of the Atlantic. How are Brioni suits made and priced?Brioni opened a factory in Abruzzo, Italy, where expert tailors hand-sew jackets and trousers before adding finishing touches by machine, with each garment requiring at least 18 hours of work. Ready-to-wear suits run from US$3,600 to $5,500, and custom-tailored suits from $4,000 to $24,000, with more than 5,000 fabrics to choose from. More to ExploreMore from Apparel Search: Fashion Definitions | Clothing Industry Glossary | Fashion Terms | Apparel Search Home
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