➻

Subtlety Over
Showmanship

A Comparative Analysis of Brunello Cucinelli's

Understated Elegance and Louis Vuitton's Iconic

Extravagance in the Era of Quiet Luxury

➻ Megan, Ivan, David, Phillip

➻ ➻
⋅ Table of contents ⋅
Introduction
⋅ 01 What is quiet luxury?
Purpose of Study ⋅ 04 Analysis
Marketing Strategies, Design
Philosophies, and Mass
Brand Selection
⋅ 02 Overview of Cucinelli and Louis
Vuitton

⋅ 05 Findings
Course Connections
Methods
⋅ 03 Content Selection Process
Conclusion
Q&A
➻ ➻
 What is Quiet
Luxury?
Recent shift in the luxury fashion landscape

Bold Brand Logo —-> Understated elegance

“Clothing of the highest quality, but also clothing

that has timelessness, is sophisticated, and is
understated.”

Other Terms: “Old Money Aesthetic”, Stealth

Wealth”, “Coded Dressing”
➻
➻
Why Quiet luxury?
Sustainability: The Trend of Quiet Luxury in 2023:

-Conscious Consumption –Concept of quiet luxury has existed for

centuries
-Focus on purchasing timeless pieces
-A response to the Logomania movement of the
-High prices can be attributed to material quality 2010’s-

-Many quiet luxury brands are putting extensive -Succession - Award winning television show
efforts into finding more eco-friendly materials that perfectly illustrates quiet luxury through a
comfortable and minimalist elite aesthetic

➻
➻

➻
➻

To examine the phenomenon of

“Quiet Luxury” through a
⋅ Purpose of Study ⋅ comparative analysis of two brands
exemplifying “loud” and “quiet”
luxury.

➻
 Quiet Luxury:
Brunello
Brand Cucinelli
Selection
Loud Luxury:
Louis Vuitton
Overview:
Brunello Cucinelli
“I want to make profits: I am a capitalist. I
want to do it ethically and morally, but I want
to make profits. The question is, how do we
share the profits?”

- Brunello Cucinelli

Founded in 1978, Brunello Cucinelli prides itself

on the virtues of excellence, sophistication and
ethical, fair and humanitarian business operations.

Internationally regarded as the “King of

Cashmere”, Cucinelli famously views himself as a
humanitarian first and an atelier second.
 Brunello Cucinelli

- The brand is built on Mr. Cucinelli’s Dual Tenets

of “Humanistic Capitalism” and “Human
Sustainability”

- HQ in the medieval hamlet of Solomeo -which has

become Cucinelli’s personal project of restoration.

- Solomeo as a “worker’s commune” with nearly

half of the residents working at the Cucinelli
factory full-time.
 Overview:
Louis Vuitton
- Established in 1854, Louis
Vuitton is first and foremost a
brand of heritage.

- The “grandfather” of the LVMH

conglomerate.

- Boasts 5664 worldwide locations

and has established itself as
perhaps the most recognizable
house in fashion.
Louis Vuitton
- The iconic monogram print and
damier canvas design are
internationally recognized status
symbols

- Through media endorsement by

celebrities and artists the brand has
become synonymous with “luxury
lifestyle”

- Treads a fine line between tradition

and innovation
➻
Distinction of Consumer Types ➻

Motivated by Consumption Unmotivated by consumption

Parvenus Patricians
High Financial Means
Poseurs Proletarians
Low Financial Means

For the purposes of comparing the trends of “quiet” and “loud” luxury - we are going to focus on the Patricians and the Parvenus

consumer classes.

a) The Patrician, while possessed of affluent wealth, is primarily concerned with associating himself with others of his class

rather than distancing from the other classes - ideal customer of stealth wealth

b) The Parvenus on the other hand, is preoccupied with dissociating himself from the lower classes and thus seeks clothing
➻ ➻
and items that confer social and economic status
➻ ➻
Method
● Comparative literary and media content analysis of Cucinelli and Louis Vuitton

- Marketing Analysis - campaigns, websites, exclusive collections and collaborations, revenue

- Design Philosophies and Aesthetics - Websites and Instagram pages for both companies

- Mass Representation - Using Instagram, examining the top 25 posts for

#BrunelloCucinelli and #LouisVuitton

Also looked at hashtags that were most commonly associated with the brand to gain insight into
target audiences and brand values

➻ ➻
 ⋅ Marketing - LV SWOT Analysis ➻
- Urban/industrial setpieces

- Ample use of ambassadors

- Regional differences in marketing

campaigns

- Low entrance prices

- Incredible status-conferral function from

their items due to the brand’s long-standing
history.

- Collabs with the art world cement LV as an

innovative brand without damaging its
➻ heritage.
 ⋅ Marketing ➻
Cucinelli⋅
-Unique purpose-based marketing strategy
(with the purpose being Humanistic
Capitalism and Human Sustainability)

-Buying into Brunello Cucinelli is like

buying into a “greater good” philosophy

-An IFYKYK approach to clothing -

unbranded

- Prices cater to the social elite, while brand

purpose and identity cater to the
philosopher, humanist and philanthropist.

➻
 ⋅ Design Philosophies and Aesthetics - ➻

Brunello Cucinelli ⋅
- Earthly and natural tones, muted colors and
simple, rustic designs

- Artisanal attention to detail, stitching and

material quality

- Simple, minimal and classic silhouettes

reinterpreted for the XXI century

- No visible branding

- No single piece of clothing stands out, but

rather all harmoniously come together to
create an outfit with distance feeling.

➻
 ⋅ Design Philosophies and Aesthetics - ➻

Louis Vuitton⋅
- Extensive use of the LV insignia

- Luxury materials like quilted leather and

solid gold contrast with denim and cotton

- The brand stays true to its glamorous roots

of parisian chic - as evident by the backdrop
of the Eiffel

- Focus on individual “statement pieces” such

as purses and bags.

➻
➻ ⋅ Mass Perceptions ⋅
Instagram Hashtags
289k posts for #BrunelloCucinelli often associated with tags such as #QuietLuxury, #SustainableFashion and
#EthicalLuxury

- Attracts a following that appreciates its commitment to sustainable practices, craftsmanship, and ethical values

- Showcases Cucinelli products in serene, natural settings, further amplifying the brand's ethos

- Much smaller brand compared to LVMH

18.4 mil posts - #LouisVuitton often often associated with tags such as #LVLover, #MonogramMania, and
#LuxuryLifestyle

- Vast digital representation - from celebrities flashing their LV monogrammed bags on the red carpet to influencers
showcasing their latest Louis Vuitton hauls
➻
- User-generated content - unboxing videos, reviews, and styling tips related to LV product
➻ Mass Perceptions

➻
 ➻

BLUMER Course
HODKINSON Connections
BELL & HOLLOWS

➻
➻
Conclusion
The reception and representation of Brunello Cucinelli and Louis Vuitton on social media platforms offer a window

into the evolving dynamics of luxury fashion.

Brunello Cucinelli: audience values understated elegance and ethical luxury,

Louis Vuitton: with its widespread appeal, embodies the essence of iconic luxury.

Their contrasting representations in the digital realm underscore the multifaceted nature of luxury in the modern

age, reflecting diverse consumer values and aspirations.

➻
 ➻

Thank You

➻
 ➻
Bibliography
L. (2021, February 12). Brunello Cucinelli, the Digital humanist. Launchmetrics. https://www.launchmetrics.com/resources/blog/brunello-cucinelli-the-digital-humanist

Cucinelli, B. (2023). Humanistic capitalism. The fair profit - Humanistic Capitalism | Brunello Cucinelli. https://investor.brunellocucinelli.com/en/humanistic-capitalism

Elder, A. K., Hassall, L., & Reddy-Best, K. L. (2020, August 1). Fashion theories. Dress Appearance and Diversity in US Society. https://iastate.pressbooks.pub/dressappearancediversity/chapter/fashion-theories/#:~:text=Trickle%2Ddown
%20Theory,socioeconomic%20statuses%20follow%20these%20trends.

Ganbold, S. (2023, August 31). Topic: Luxury goods market in the Asia-Pacific region. Statista. https://www.statista.com/topics/8454/luxury-goods-market-in-the-asia-pacific-region/#:~:text=The%20Asia%2DPacific%20region%20is%20the
%20largest%20consumer%20of%20many,from%20fashion%20and%20leather%20goods.

Hartmans, A. (2023, April 16). “quiet luxury” is back for the first time since the Great Recession. here’s what it is and what brands stand to benefit. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/quiet-luxury-explained-which-brands-will-
benefit-2023-4?r=US&IR=T

INSIDER, B. (2023, September 12). Why Brunello Cucinelli is the Italian poster child of Quiet Luxury. South China Morning Post. https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3234211/why-brunello-cucinelli-poster-child-
quiet-luxury-king-cashmere-had-jump-profits-2023-showing-stealth

Jee Han , Y., Nunes, J. C., & Drèze , X. (2010). Brand prominence 1-12-10 - university of southern california. usc.edu. https://msbfile03.usc.edu/digitalmeasures/jnunes/intellcont/Brand%20Prominence%201-12-10-1.pdf

Kolk, A. (2023, March 19). Louis Vuitton: Mastering the art of luxury brand marketing. EpiProdux Blog. https://epiprodux.com/blog/louis-vuitton-mastering-the-art-of-luxury-brand-marketing/#Brand_positioning_and_target_market

Trebay, G. (2023, July 22). What’s the status of flaunting your status? The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/22/style/quiet-luxury-wealth-status.html

UK, FashionNetwork. com. (2016, October 19). Closer look at the luxury market: Brand Perception is everything, both for Louis Vuitton and Cucinelli. https://uk.fashionnetwork.com/news/Closer-look-at-the-luxury-market-brand-perception-is-
everything-both-for-louis-vuitton-and-cucinelli,744192.html

➻ Vuitton, L. (2014, May 23). A legendary history. LOUIS VUITTON. https://eu.louisvuitton.com/eng-e1/magazine/articles/a-legendary-history#