As Cucinelli tells it, he simply could not get his head around why people would treat his father, his colleagues, and his family in such a way. And it was only when spending a significant time analyzing his family’s experience, his formal education, and his life spent talking with people inside those cafes that he came up with his theory of ‘humanistic capitalism.’ It is a theory that continues to guide his actions as a human being and as executive chairman and
creative director of Brunello Cucinelli.
Humanistic Capitalism
Brunello Cucinelli’s philosophy has been articulated in The Dream of Solemeo: My Life and the Idea of Humanistic Capitalism, published in 2018. It is a book that won him many accolades, and it remains in high demand. Fortunately, Cuccinelli has articulated much of his thinking behind the concept.
First of all, humanistic capitalism builds off the notion that people and communities must live in harmony and without harming Creation. Cucinelli believes this to be a just idea, one built around the concept of fairness. Fairness is, in many respects, the key to unlocking his thinking. For example, fairness underpins his belief in individuals and companies making a fair and sustainable profit, from which they are obligated to act as guardians of creation by leaving the world not exactly the same as we found it but more amiable. This requires individuals and companies to strike a balance between profit and giving back.
Second, humanistic capitalism demands that profits be made with ethics, dignity, and morals. This means not harming mankind in the
process. For these reasons, Brunello Cucinelli
argues the workplace should heighten and not diminish dignity. A workplace must be an amiable place, where workers engage with the landscape to remember the home and family they are going back to after work. It also demands fair working hours, and a life outside of working hours where it is prohibited to be conducting business online. Here, Cucinelli
cites Saint Benedict, who reminded his monks
that there is a time for work and a time for the soul.
Cucinelli believes fair work never steals one’s soul, and thus showing esteem and
appreciation for someone’s work is important because it increases responsibility and creativity. It is for this reason humanistic capitalism requires, thirdly, that profits be shared among his workers and other companies along the supply chain.
The Company
At first, Brunello Cucinelli was not sure what kind of business he wanted to start. All he knew was he wanted to foster human dignity, by promoting a concept of work that ensured “being moral and economic dignity.”
Mr. Cucinelli settled on an idea of producing colored cashmere knitwear for women in 1978. Story has it he started by producing six sweaters, in bright colors. Perugia had a history of wool production, and Cucinelli thought it would be an innovation if he were to introduce cashmere into the mix (which he sourced out of Mongolia).
I envisage humanistic capitalism as a great harmony within which profit, giving back, guardianship, human dignity and the ethics of truth coexist and enrich each other.
- Brunello Cucinelli
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