The Screening of Brunello: A Gracious Visionary Might Just Be Manhattan’s Most Glamorous Movie Night Ever

On Tuesday evening at Lincoln Center, friends of Brunello Cucinelli gathered alongside the designer and his family for the New York unveiling of Brunello: A Gracious Visionary. And right from the moment they stepped on the plush beige carpet—a nod to the label’s signature palette of understated neutrals—guests were immediately immersed in the Cucinelli universe.

As attendees made their way towards the theater, they were embraced, kissed on the cheek, and personally welcomed by Cucinelli himself. The designer, along with his wife Federica and daughters Carolina and Camilla, graciously worked the carpet, making the evening feel more like a family reunion than a traditional screening.

“Our business started here, right after Germany,” Cucinelli told Vogue. “It’s so moving to be back here many years later with our friends.” Federica echoed the sentiment: “This is such a beautiful, iconic theater. To be here, surrounded by all these people, we feel so many emotions.”

Guests, too, were eager to learn more about the family that brought them all together for the night. “I’m fascinated by how Brunello built something like this; how he’s been able to evolve with the times while keeping the DNA consistent,” said actor Allison Williams. “To start something at 25-years-old and build it into what it is today—and then have your children be part of it—that’s incredible,” added interior designer Jeremiah Brent. “I’m always fascinated by how people find and cultivate creativity, and how they turn that into something lasting.”

As familiar faces including Sarah Catherine Hook, Helena Christensen, Shonda Rhimes, Oscar Isaac, and Naomi Watts gathered in the theater’s lobby, they were greeted with silver trays of Champagne as anticipation quietly built for the screening ahead. Martha Stewart, a longtime friend of the family, remained tight-lipped: “I’ve heard a lot about the film itself, but you’re going to need to wait and see before I say anything,” she teased.

After cocktail hour, guests were ushered into the auditorium—flutes still in hand. Once seated, Cucinelli took the stage, choosing to speak in Italian so he could express himself fully. New York, he noted, has always held a special place in the brand’s history. But more than that, the film carries a message he hopes will resonate: a call for younger generations to “replace fear with hope” and to “look up to the skies” once more.

The two-hour film offers a sentimental look into Cucinelli’s upbringing in the Italian countryside, his decades-long love story with Federica, the evolution of his business, and his philosophy of humanistic capitalism. The designer sat front row alongside his family—many of whom appear in the film—as well as the actors who portrayed them. When the credits rolled, the audience rose for a standing ovation; a tribute not only to the film, but to the legacy it honors.

Afterwards, guests made their way upstairs to the grand promenade, where an Italian feast awaited between the colossal marble sculptures. Tables were lined with rustic breads served alongside olive oil and wines from the Brunello Cucinelli label. Dawson’s Creek alumni Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson were among those who shared platters of cured meats, fresh mozzarella, and cheeses evoking the farm-style simplicity depicted in the film. For the main course, rigatoni pomodoro was a highlight—a thoughtful callback to a moment in which Cucinelli names it as a favorite. As glasses of red wine and Aperol spritzes clinked throughout the room, the evening concluded, fittingly, with a classic Italian tiramisù.

Despite the roughly 400 guests in attendance, the atmosphere remained intimate—almost familial. Guests left not only with a deeper understanding of Cucinelli’s story but with a sense of belonging within it.