In seven years, the Austrian designer has successfully reinvented the menswear brand, which has been owned by Kering since 2011. The demand for renewal instilled by Luca de Meo, who took over as CEO of the luxury group in September, could explain this announcement.
The Luca de Meo tornado continues to blow through Kering…
It is likely that the arrival of the luxury group’s new CEO played a role in the recently announced departure of Norbert Stumpfl, creative director of Brioni, a menswear fashion house renowned for its tailoring expertise for 80 years.
A seven-year cycle to make his mark
But the 48-year-old Austrian still spent seven years—a cycle—making his mark at the Italian fashion house, which was acquired by Kering in 2011. This is a far cry from the departure that has just been announced for Dario Vitale, artistic director at Versace, after barely a year in the role.
“During his tenure at Brioni, Norbert [Stumpfl] accurately interpreted the concept of lightness and discretion, contributing to the evolution of the men’s wardrobe with a modern approach that honors tradition,” the fashion house said in a statement on Friday, without revealing the name of his successor.
Norbert Stumpfl also managed to bring welcome stability to Brioni: before his arrival in 2018, four creative directors had come and gone in five years, the last of whom, Justin O’Shea, left six months after his arrival!
A reinterpretation of the bold style of the early days
Industry experts praised Norbert Stumpfl’s ability to reinterpret the bold, even eccentric style of the early Brioni in a modern way, while also embracing a more understated and “quiet luxury” trend.
The bespoke suit house, founded in 1945 in Rome by master tailor Nazareno Fonticoli and entrepreneur Gaetano Savini, was a pioneer in organizing the very first men’s fashion show in Florence in 1952. But it also stood out for its combination of bright colors and refined, lightweight materials.
Similarly, Norbert Stumpfl dared to use original color palettes and sometimes extremely sophisticated fabrics in his collections, such as 24-karat gold-spun silk for a tuxedo or noble yet supple materials (cashmere, silk, suede, linen, etc.), giving his silhouettes a less structured, more effortless and modern look.
Expansion into lifestyle and women’s wear
Norbert Stumpfl also expanded Brioni’s offering for men towards more versatile tailoring and a more lifestyle-oriented wardrobe for all occasions. He also took Brioni into completely new territory by launching the first women’s capsule collection in 2022, adapting the House’s tailoring expertise and codes in a more fluid spirit.
A graduate of Central Saint Martins in London, Norbert Stumpfl worked for several renowned fashion houses before joining Brioni. He was the designer of the men’s line at Lanvin for nearly nine years, from 2005 to 2014, then the men’s line at Balenciaga, already a subsidiary of Kering, from 2014 to 2016, before working on freelance projects for Louis Vuitton and Adidas in 2016 and 2017.
He then spent a year as head of design at Berluti, the men’s shoe brand owned by the LVMH group, before joining Brioni at luxury challenger Kering.
On a roll in Europe, North America, and Japan
“Our journey continues, and the house will continue to build on its tradition—perfection in craftsmanship, exceptional materials, and innovation in sewing techniques—to create true masterpieces, from formal wear to casual wear and accessories. Brioni continues its mission to define the contemporary codes of Italian elegance, while elevating its mastery of haute couture and bespoke craftsmanship to those who seek and accept only the exceptional,” said Federico Arrigoni, CEO of Brioni since 2020.
Brioni’s results, which are included in the “Other Houses” division, along with fashion houses Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen and jewelry houses Boucheron, Pomellato, and Qeelin, are not broken down by Kering.
However, sales for this division rose 1% (down 5% on a reported basis) to €652 million in the third quarter of 2025, which ended in September, after falling 14% on a comparable basis to €1.5 billion in the first half of the year. Between July and September, Kering highlighted at Brioni, “strong growth in direct sales in Western Europe, North America, and Japan.”
Read also > Kering plans to launch an investment structure called “House of Dreams”
Featured photo: © Brioni
