Brunello Cucinelli

Brunello Cucinelli started his company in 1978 by dyeing cashmere sweaters for women in bright colours, then an unusual idea for the fibre. He later restored the medieval hamlet of Solomeo, near Perugia, which houses the company's headquarters and workshops. The brand now makes cashmere knitwear, tailoring and casual clothing for men, women and children, and Cucinelli promotes what he calls humanistic capitalism, reinvesting part of the profits in the community and in fair pay for artisans. The company listed on the Milan stock exchange in 2012.