Brunello Cucinelli’s daughters on crafting the house’s ‘Duo’ bag, conceived through sisterly synergy
Camilla and Carolina Cucinelli, daughters of Brunello Cucinelli, tell Wallpaper* the story behind ‘BC Duo’, the first bag they’ve designed for the Italian house

Brunello Cucinelli has built his namesake fashion empire on Italian values: preservation of tradition and craft, the importance of local community, and – as any guest to the 12th-century hamlet of Solomeo, in Umbria, where the brand is based, can attest – gracious hospitality and good food (so much so, Mr Cucinelli’s dinners have become synonymous with vast bowls of paccheri pasta and golden drizzles of his own small-batch olive oil).
But Brunello Cucinelli is also a family business, with his two daughters – Carolina and Camilla Cucinelli – serving as vice presidents and creative co-directors, while living and working in Solomeo with their own families. ‘It is good to hear when a company reaches its sixth generation: that's what my grandfather would say, that's what my father would say. It is the value of guardianship and generation turnover,’ Mr Cucinelli wrote in a recent essay about the importance of family to his business.
The story behind Brunello Cucinelli’s ‘BC Duo’ bag
The ‘BC Duo’ bag, available at shop.brunellocucinelli.com
It’s why the house’s ‘BC Duo’ handbag – which arrives this March – represents something of a torch-passing moment, marking the first bag to be designed by the sisters. A softly structured tote, its design features geometric panels that loosely recall the ’BC’ of the house’s initials, and allow it to be folded inwards on each side to create a more compact silhouette. The sisters envisage it for everyday wear, particularly the largest shopper style which appeals to our own throw-it-all-in mentality (there are four sizes in total, including ‘medium’, ‘small’ and ‘mini’ iterations).
The sisters tell Wallpaper* that the inspiration came from ‘the idea of duality – two elements that come together to create something greater than the sum of their parts,’ with the bag embodying ‘tradition and innovation, simplicity and sophistication, functionality and beauty. [It’s like] the balance we strive for in life.’
The sisters at work. ‘We share an innate understanding of each other’s perspectives and a deep sense of trust,’ they say
As for designing as sisters, Carolina and Camilla call the conception of the bag a ‘truly special experience’. ‘We share an innate understanding of each other’s perspectives and a deep sense of trust, which allows us to challenge one another creatively,’ they say. ‘[Our] synergy allows us to create something unique – both our voices are present, but the final product is balanced.’
For S/S 2025, the ‘BC Duo’ comes in an array of fabrics, from classic calfskin and suede – long used for Brunello Cucinelli’s hand-crafted accessories – to bolder lamé and metallic finishes. Choosing a favourite is impossible, say Carolina and Camilla, though they sway towards the ‘soft, neutral’ shades of taupe and ivory – the hues with which Brunello Cucinelli has long been synonymous. Like father, like daughters.
The ‘BC Duo’ series is available from Brunello Cucinelli’s website and stores worldwide.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Jack Moss is the Fashion Features Editor at Wallpaper*, joining the team in 2022. Having previously been the digital features editor at AnOther and digital editor at 10 and 10 Men magazines, he has also contributed to titles including i-D, Dazed, 10 Magazine, Mr Porter’s The Journal and more, while also featuring in Dazed: 32 Years Confused: The Covers, published by Rizzoli. He is particularly interested in the moments when fashion intersects with other creative disciplines – notably art and design – as well as championing a new generation of international talent and reporting from international fashion weeks. Across his career, he has interviewed the fashion industry’s leading figures, including Rick Owens, Pieter Mulier, Jonathan Anderson, Grace Wales Bonner, Christian Lacroix, Kate Moss and Manolo Blahnik.
-
For the breakfast lover that is not a morning person, this Hollywood café is for you
Start your day with a ceremonial strawberry matcha latte and freshly baked viennoiseries amid the glamour of Café Goldie at the W Hollywood
-
A refreshed Rockefeller Wing reopens with a bang at The Met in New York
The Met's Michael C Rockefeller Wing gets a refresh by Kulapat Yantrasast's WHY Architecture, bringing light, air and impact to the galleries devoted to arts from Africa, Oceania and the Ancient Americas
-
A festival on Mars? No, Jordan. Inside Medaina, an immersive electronic music festival
Medaina is an otherworldly five-day, two-location electronic music festival offering a backdrop like no other, the historic sites of Petra and Wadi Rum. Tianna Williams was there
-
Milan Fashion Week men's A/W 2022: Prada to Fendi
A Prada catwalk peppered with Hollywood stars; menswear's new erogenous zones and a modern take on classic silhouettes: all you need to know about Milan Fashion Week men's A/W 2022
-
Milan Fashion Week A/W 2021: designers riff on romp and relaxation
Milan Fashion Week offered a wardrobe for life after lockdown, by brands including Fendi, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Valentino and Giorgio Armani
-
Milan Fashion Week Men’s A/W 2019 Editor’s Picks
From Versace's riot of coulours to Norbert Stumpfl's debut for Brioni, Miaoran's love letter to Milan seen through a mix of sartorial codes, to retro glamorous sneakers at Jimmy Choo, we present the Wallpaper* pick of Milan Fashion Week Men's A/W 2019...
-
Milan Fashion Week S/S 2017 menswear editor's picks
-
Milan Fashion Week S/S 2016 menswear editor's picks
-
Editor’s picks from Milan Fashion Week A/W 2015: womenswear collections
-
Milan Fashion Week A/W 2015: menswear collections editor’s picks
-
Editor’s picks from Milan Fashion Week S/S 2015: womenswear collections