Viva Italia!
It might be somewhat of a cliché, but the widespread awareness of the words is only a small measure of the popularity of the country itself.

The nation, of course, once ruled the ancient world and its past has contributed to the foundations of modern culture. It continues to have an impact on culture, fashion, food and art far beyond the size of its population or economy.

After all, where would the world of fashion be without Giorgio Armani, Gianni and Donatella Versace, Valentino, the Missoni clan, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons and more, up to today and the likes of Demna, Alessandro Michele, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Alessandro Sartori? And think of the impact of the likes of the Zegna family, Diego Della Valle, Remo Ruffini, Renzo Rosso, John Elkann and other investors and executives.

Art? Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Raphael…the list is almost endless. Food? Don’t even start or else our mouths will be watering.

So, here, WWD celebrates the designers, executives and other figures who today are helping to drive Italian — and the world’s — culture. There, of course, are many, many more — but, honestly, we had to stop somewhere for now.

Davide De Giglio

Founder and CEO, D Capital

A maverick entrepreneur who helped fuel the streetwear phenomenon in the 2010s, Davide De Giglio is best known as one of the three cofounders of the Milan-based New Guards Group, the brand development platform established in 2015 alongside retailer Claudio Antonioli and designer Marcelo Burlon.

Focused on founder-led, streetwear brands, NGG rapidly grew into a major force, acquiring or backing labels such as Off-White, Palm Angels, Ambush, Opening Ceremony, and Alanui, among others. In a surprise move, e-tailer Farfetch acquired NGG for $675 million in 2019.

Four years after the sale, De Giglio exited the company in 2023 and established D Capital, his own boutique investment firm, which has so far invested in if-you-know-you-know gems. These include the acquisition of a 55 percent stake in uberluxe menswear label Umit Benan in 2024, as well as investments in Milan-based men’s grooming and fragrance brand Eredi Zucca, in a bid to resurrect the storied firm originally established in 1652.

The firm also boasts investments in beauty brands including Isamaya, of which it was a cofounding investor, and Rhode, as a seed investor, as well as in Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, and Volzhenka Caviar.

“Italy makes beauty part of everyday life. It doesn’t simply preserve the past — it brings it into the present through creativity, business and vision. It combines culture with commerce, beauty with function and craftsmanship with industry. Italy’s real strength is turning a personal idea into something universal, while keeping its character, roots and humanity.”

Antonio De Matteis

CEO, Kiton

A second-generation member of Kiton’s founding family, Antonio De Matteis, widely known as Totò, is chief executive officer of the Neapolitan sartorial brand. He is among the nephews of founder Ciro Paone, who took on executive responsibilities and helped propel the brand through international expansion, brand extensions and collaborations.

A pragmatic businessman, enamored with the Italian lifestyle rooted in simplicity and conviviality, De Matteis took on the CEO role in 2007, several years before Paone died in 2021. He has since spearheaded the introduction of newer expressions of the brand identity and grown the scope of the family company, which now counts 60 flagships globally and 800 employees.

Flanked by his cousin Maria Giovanna Paone, president of Kiton, women’s creative director and daughter of Kiton’s founder, De Matteis’ led the introduction of KNT, or Kiton New Textures, an urbanwear collection developed by his twin sons Mariano and Walter and framed the brand’s partnership with the Tottenham Hotspur soccer club in 2023 and with Cassina for the 2025 Salone del Mobile furniture event in Milan.

In 2023, De Matteis was named president of leading trade show organizer Pitti Immagine and was confirmed in the position earlier this year for an additional three-year term, until 2028.

“Italian culture is extraordinary because it embodies a rare balance of history, creativity, craftsmanship, and enduring beauty. Long regarded as the cradle of Western civilization, Italy has shaped the worlds of art, culture, knowledge, and human thought for centuries, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire and be celebrated across the globe.

“Its universal appeal lies not only in its remarkable heritage, but also in its ability to captivate people from every corner of the world, welcoming millions of visitors each year who seek to experience its authenticity firsthand.

“What makes Italy truly distinctive is the richness of its regional identities. Every city, every landscape, and every community preserves its own traditions, customs, culinary heritage, and unique interpretation of beauty. From art and architecture to fashion, gastronomy, and exceptional craftsmanship, each region contributes to a cultural mosaic whose influence extends far beyond national borders.

“Italy’s greatest strength is its ability to honor its heritage while continually embracing innovation. It is this dialogue between tradition and progress that makes Italian culture timeless — an enduring source of inspiration for generations around the world.”

Diego Della Valle

Chairman and CEO, Tod’s Group

Diego Della Valle, chairman and CEO of the Tod’s Group, continues to invest in the company after delisting it from the Italian Stock Exchange in 2024, wanting to have more flexibility without the quarterly scrutiny of investors. He has had a taste of this freedom with Schiaparelli, which he bought in 2007 through a holding separate from Tod’s, and which is enjoying strong momentum under the creative lead of Daniel Roseberry.

Della Valle is a strong supporter of Made in Italy’s craftsmanship and has funded several projects for the country, including the restoration of the Colosseum in Rome and of Milan’s Palazzo Marino, the 16th-century building that has housed the city hall and local administration operations since 1861. The Tod’s Group includes the Tod’s brand, designed by creative director Matteo Tamburini; Fay, known for its four-hook jackets inspired by the uniforms worn by American firefighters, and Hogan, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

“Italy is a country immersed in culture, home to countless works of art renowned throughout the world, including the Colosseum, as well as many other museums, large and small, and magnificent churches that can be found in every Italian city, town and village.

“All of this clearly influences the culture of the Italian people, fostering a deep appreciation for beauty and history, and filling us with pride in what Italy has to offer to people from all over the world.

“Arriving in Italy is like stepping into a vast museum of history, lifestyle, and extraordinary figures whose achievements have made Italian culture one of the most important and admired in the world.”

Pantaleo Dell’Orco

Chairman of the Armani Group Board, men’s creative director

Giorgio Armani’s longtime partner, Pantaleo Dell’Orco, known as Leo, has been thrust under the spotlight following the designer’s death last year. Named creative director of the menswear collections, Dell’Orco also has a key role in shaping the future of the group, with 40 percent of voting shares, and life tenancy with a 30 percent stake in the Giorgio Armani Foundation, in addition to being a member of the board. He was also left a life tenancy of the Via Borgonuovo palazzo in Milan, where the late designer lived. Here, Dell’Orco held an official meet-and-greet with the press in January after his debut collection without the late founder, offering continuity, while adding a colorful and youthful touch to the lineup. With Silvana Armani, he made the decision to present Emporio Armani collections in a coed format although last week the group named Dario Vitale creative director of Emporio Armani, injecting new design blood into the group.

“Italian culture is special because it is a unique blend of knowledge, tastes and aesthetic sensibilities, enriched by centuries of history. It is a history that we perhaps learn half-heartedly at school as Italians, but which we naturally and enduringly make our own in our daily lives. Wherever you are in Italy, you will find evidence of different eras, signs and traces of the past. This is true of art, literature and cuisine. It is precisely this variety of influences and traditions that makes us adaptable, flexible and open-minded. Added to this is a strong culture of craftsmanship — that is, a genuine pleasure in manual labor and in beautiful things made with care. This balance is truly unique: typical of the Mediterranean region, but with a richness and intensity that are surprisingly high in Italy.”

Demna

Artistic director, Gucci

Demna was named artistic director at Gucci in March last year, after a 10-year tenure at Balenciaga. Born in Georgia, he studied international economics at Tbilisi State University before he enrolled in Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts. He graduated with a master’s degree in fashion design in 2006, later that year collaborating with Walter Van Beirendonck, one of the Antwerp Six, on his men’s collections.

He joined Martin Margiela in 2009 after the maverick Belgian founder retired and was responsible for the women’s collections. In 2013, he moved on to Louis Vuitton, where he was senior designer of women’s ready-to-wear collections, initially under Marc Jacobs and briefly under Nicolas Ghesquière.

His Vetements project — cofounded in 2014 with his brother Gurum Gvasalia — ignited a streetwear movement with oversize fashion designs, $800 hoodies and cool sneakers. He stepped down at Vetements in 2019.

At Balenciaga, he reinterpreted silhouettes from founder Cristóbal Balenciaga with an irreverent touch, with a penchant for trompe-l’œil and daring with controversial designs, including a blue leather duffel that resembles an Ikea Frakta carryall, staging gripping runway spectacles in sets evoking submerged stadiums, a grand parliament or a giant pit of mud.

At Gucci, before his first fashion show in February, he unveiled a series of characters for his “La Famiglia” collection, together with the short film “The Tiger” that premiered in Milan, directed by Spike Jonze and Halina Reijn, and headlined by Demi Moore. Demna already has revived Gucci’s sexy ’90s look, as seen most recently in New York where he took Times Square on a Saturday night megawatt show.

“What inspires me most is the way tradition and transformation coexist. There is a deep cultural memory, but also a natural openness to reinterpret it through a contemporary lens. That tension between heritage and progress makes Italian culture endlessly relevant.”

Patrizio di Marco

Investor, Pro-Keds

A veteran luxury-industry executive best known for stewarding Gucci to new heights following the founding family’s exit, Patrizio di Marco’s career at the brand culminated in his role as chairman and chief executive officer from 2009 to 2014, during which he worked closely with then-creative director Frida Giannini and helped guide the brand through a period of international growth and strategic repositioning.

The luxury executive, and former chairman of Golden Goose, also helmed the premium streetwear retailer End.

A longtime luxury manager, di Marco also served as chairman and CEO of Bottega Veneta.

“Italian creativity isn’t about chasing what’s next. It’s about creating something with enough character to become timeless.”

Giorgio Dinaro

Head of Milan operations, Permira

Giorgio Dinaro is head of the Milan operations of Permira, a global private equity and credit investment firm founded in 1985. He previously worked in the investment-banking division of Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Milan before joining Permira. Dinaro has worked on a number of transactions, including pet retailer Arcaplanet, food chain La Piadineria, and fashion brands and apparel firms like Golden Goose and K-Way. Dinaro currently serves on the board of Gruppo Florence, which was formed to consolidate the highly fragmented high-end fashion and luxury supply chain.

“What makes Italian culture truly special is its ability to combine creativity, craftsmanship, and entrepreneurship in a way that is difficult to replicate anywhere else in the world. Italy has a long tradition of family-owned businesses and visionary entrepreneurs who have built globally recognized brands by balancing heritage with innovation, quality with ambition, and authenticity with continuous evolution.

“At Permira, we have seen these qualities firsthand through our investments in Italy. From Valentino, an icon of Italian luxury and craftsmanship, to Golden Goose, which has successfully redefined contemporary luxury through creativity, authenticity, and strong customer engagement, and K-Way, we have partnered with fashion brands that embody the distinctive strengths of Italian culture while demonstrating their ability to grow and compete on a global stage. The same applies beyond fashion and luxury. With Arcaplanet, Italy’s leading pet care player, and La Piadineria, the Italian fast-casual leader built around one of Italy’s most beloved food products, “the piadina,” we have partnered with visionary entrepreneurs and management teams to transform strong business intuitions into scaled, trusted, distinctive, and much-loved consumer brands.

“These investments have reinforced our conviction that Italy’s greatest asset is its entrepreneurial and managerial talent. Italian founders and management teams have a unique ability to navigate complexity with agility, think for the long term, and continuously reinvent their businesses without losing their identity.

“This is also reflected in our broader investment approach. Around 80 percent of the investments in our latest flagship fund, Permira VIII, are partnerships with founders or families. We believe that visionary entrepreneurs, long-term thinking, and close collaboration are powerful drivers of sustainable growth, and Italy offers an exceptional ecosystem of founders and management teams who embody these qualities.”

Alfonso Dolce

Chairman and co-CEO, Dolce & Gabbana

Alfonso Dolce, chairman and co-chief executive officer of Dolce & Gabbana, began working with his parents Saverio and Rosaria and siblings Domenico and Dorotea in the family atelier in Sicily.

In 1984 he founded the Dolce & Gabbana company with his brother Domenico and Stefano Gabbana and has been instrumental in leading it and growing it into an international group, diversifying its product offer, from men’s and women’s collections, including couture, into lifestyle, starting with the DG Martini Bar & Restaurant Milano, and its home collection, launched in 2021. The brand also has a successful beauty business, brought back in-house in 2022.

“Italian culture is the result of a deep connection between territory, people and craftsmanship. It is a culture built on excellence passed down through generations, on skills preserved with passion and on an extraordinary dedication to quality. Craftsmanship is one of the most authentic expressions of this heritage: a form of knowledge that goes beyond technique, encompassing experience, dedication and identity. It is a value that we must continue to support and preserve.”

Simone Dominici

CEO, Kiko Milano

Ever since joining Kiko Milano in 2022, Simone Dominici has masterminded the revamp of the Italian beauty brand, leveraging the different skills he piled up throughout his career. This started at Unilever, where Dominici rose through the ranks to take on the role of vice president of the food business unit in Italy. He then moved to the Coin department store, where he was general manager, before being named executive vice president of global markets at Bottega Veneta. In 2018 he moved to the beauty industry, joining Coty Inc., first in Geneva and then in the company’s headquarters in Amsterdam, to assume the role of executive vice president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with responsibilities both for the luxury and consumer divisions, also holding the role of global head of revenue management.

He has injected a new dynamism into Kiko Milano, ranging from product assortment to distribution, and a series of high-profile appointments including former MAC Cosmetics global creative director Drew Elliott and, most recently, former Space NK chief commercial officer Margaret Mitchell. He also tapped Madonna as its global ambassador and Marcelo Gutierrez as its first global makeup artistry creative director.

Under L Catterton, which in 2024 took a majority stake in the company, he has helped grow Kiko’s sales to an estimated 967 million euros in 2025.

“Italian culture is a living, breathing movement rather than a static museum of the past. It is special because it wraps industrial precision in emotional beauty, replaces the pressure of perfection with personal confidence, and opens the doors of its rich heritage to the entire world.

“Italian culture derives its unique strength from a seamless intersection of rigorous science, advanced industrial capability, and boundless creative flair. This balance ensures that cutting-edge innovation carries an innate authenticity, where research and poetry coexist through the heritage of ‘il saper fare.‘

“In the vision of Kiko Milano, style and cosmetics are never about pushing rigid, impossible standards or correcting flaws. Instead, they foster authentic self-expression and build inner security, empowering people to celebrate exactly who they are. By anchoring strict laboratory innovation with artistic flair, KIKO Milano democratizes high-quality beauty craftsmanship, and makes rich cultural heritage and premium formulas accessible to millions of people everywhere.”

John Elkann

CEO, Exor, and chairman, Ferrari and Stellantis

One of Europe’s most influential industrialists and investment executives, John Elkann, the grandson of the late Gianni Agnelli, serves as chief executive officer of the family holding company Exor, chairman of Ferrari and Stellantis. Born in New York, Elkann began his career at General Electric before joining the family business in 2003 after the death of his grandfather that same year, first at Fiat Group in 2004, and then playing a pivotal role in the transformation of the company into Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, with the acquisition of a stake in Chrysler in 2009. In 2021 Elkann spearheaded the merger of FCA with the French Peugeot SA, or PSA, into Stellantis, where he serves as chairman.

He has served as chair of Ferrari since 2018 and has worked to reinforce the brand’s three pillars of racing, sports cars and lifestyle, including the introduction of a luxury brand in 2019 and recruiting Giorgio Armani alum Rocco Iannone to lead the project creatively. The Ferrari brand has since staged fashion shows during Milan Fashion Week and begun opening flagships worldwide, including in Milan and London.

Elkann’s financial and cultural influence extends beyond the automotive industry, however, with Exor holding interests in Philips, soccer club Juventus, The Economist Group and luxury brands such as Christian Louboutin and Hermès International’s China project Shang Xia. He also sits on the board of Meta and is a trustee of the MoMA and chair of the Agnelli Foundation focused on education.

Leonardo Ferragamo

Executive chairman, Salvatore Ferragamo

Leonardo Ferragamo, son of Salvatore Ferragamo, is executive chairman of the Florence-based luxury group founded by his father in 1927. After serving as non-executive chairman from 2021, he assumed executive powers in February 2025 as the listed company continued its search for a chief executive officer.

Beyond fashion, Ferragamo has helped extend the family’s luxury vision into hospitality through the Lungarno Collection, culminating in the opening of the Portrait Milano hotel. A competitive sailor, he owned Nautor Swan from 1998 until its sale to Sanlorenzo in 2024, helping establish it as an internationally recognized sailing-yacht brand.

“Italy’s cultural uniqueness lies in a rare quality: the ability to never separate beauty from everyday life. Our artistic heritage, the landscapes that have inspired painters and poets, and the Italian way of life admired around the world are not merely a backdrop: they are the very foundation of how we create. It is a culture expressed through gestures, materials and proportion even before it is put into words. Italian craftsmanship is an integral part of this heritage: it is not simply technical expertise, but the passing down of knowledge, experience and values from one generation to the next, from master to apprentice. This ability to transform the everyday into excellence, beauty into craftsmanship and history into innovation is what makes Italy truly unique. It is a legacy we have a duty to preserve, but also a responsibility to evolve, ensuring it remains vibrant, authentic and able to engage with the contemporary world.”

Dario Ferrari

Founder and president, Intercos Group

Simply put, Dario Ferrari is a beauty industry legend. The founder and president of leading cosmetic contract manufacturer Intercos Group built his reputation as one of the most visionary entrepreneurs in the field through his passion, intuition and commitment to innovation, which remains the engine of the company he established in 1972 in Agrate Brianza, a 40-minute drive from Milan.

A charming combination of charisma and ruthless honesty, pragmatic attitude and a sharp sense of humor, Ferrari originally was inspired by the production process behind decaffeinated coffee, adapting the technology he saw at a friend’s coffee plant to cosmetic powders and eye shadows to develop creamy, longer-lasting and less expensive formulations. The subsequent products soon attracted the attention of Estée Lauder in the ’80s and over the past half century, the company has grown exponentially — now serving more than 550 clients. It also now offers different product categories and has 11 research centers, 16 production plants and 16 sales offices globally. In 2021, after three tentative initial public offerings, Intercos Group listed on the Italian Stock Exchange and last year its net sales slightly exceeded the 1 billion euro threshold.

“What makes Italian culture truly special is that it doesn’t need to sign its work. For decades, Italy has been the invisible author of global beauty: the lipstick you love, the foundation you trust…so much of it was imagined, formulated and made here, carrying someone else’s name. I find that profoundly Italian.

“The Renaissance worked the same way. Behind every patron stood a workshop where art and science were a single discipline. That same spirit continues to define the way we create today. In our laboratories, every formula is an engineering challenge approached with an artist’s eye, where chemistry and emotion are never treated as separate disciplines.

“This is Intercos’ story. We grew internationally not by exporting products, but by exporting the ability to make other people’s dreams tangible. At its deepest level, Made in Italy is not simply a label of origin. It is a way of thinking that the world keeps coming back to.”

Piero Gandini

Executive chairman, Flos B&B Italia Group

Piero Gandini is executive chairman of the Flos B&B Italia Group, the Italian design conglomerate which is home to brands such as lighting manufacturer Flos, furniture brands B&B Italia and Maxalto and kitchen maker Arclinea. He previously led Flos, the firm his father started in the ’60s, from 1996 to 2019, transforming the family-linked lighting company into a globally recognized brand through collaborations with designers including Philippe Starck, Konstantin Grcic, Michael Anastassiades and Formafantasma. During his tenure, Flos joined Design Holding in 2018 when funds Investindustrial and the Carlyle Group formed the holding company. Gandini returned to an executive leadership role in 2025 as part of the group’s broader development.

“Creativity, passion, tradition, sophistication: the ingredients of Italy’s unique culture.”

Guido Grassi Damiani

President, Damiani Group

As president of Damiani Group since 1996, Guido Grassi Damiani has steered the company through the most pivotal moments of its recent history. A third-generation member of the founding family — alongside his siblings Giorgio and Silvia, both vice presidents of the group — Grassi Damiani has been immersed in the goldsmithing expertise and tradition of the business from an early age.

An affable and enthusiastic executive, Grassi Damiani — a sociology graduate who also holds an IGI diploma in gemology — accrued experience in Tel Aviv alongside major diamond buyers before joining the family company in 1994 as sales director for Italy. Two years later he was appointed president in the wake of the death of his father, Damiano Grassi Damiani, in a car accident.

Leading the jewelry company that his grandfather Enrico Grassi Damiani and his father Damiano had established and helped shape, Guido has grown the Valenza, Italy-based jeweler to sales of 400 million euros in 2025, up 6 percent on 2024.

In 2007, he plotted the group’s listing on the Milan Bourse and spearheaded an acquisition spree that saw the company take over jeweler Calderoni in 2006, retailer Rocca in 2008, as well as the leading glassmaker Venini, which the group first invested in in 2016. In 2019, Grassi Damiani and the family opted for a delisting of the company, citing misalignment between the management’s strategic plans and shareholders’ expectations. This year, keen on broadening the group’s hard luxury footprint, Grassi Damiani masterminded the acquisition of Baume & Mercier, the group’s first pure watchmaking brand.

“It’s ability to transform values into beauty. Creativity, craftsmanship, history, family and passion are not abstract concepts in Italy — they are part of the way we live, create and pass knowledge from one generation to the next. In Italy, culture has never been something confined to museums; it is part of everyday life, shaping our cities, our landscapes and our minds and acts.

“As a family that has been rooted in Valenza, the world’s most important high-end jewelry district, for centuries, and as a maison celebrating more than 100 years of history, we experience these values every day. They are the foundation of Damiani and have guided us from my grandfather Enrico’s atelier to the international luxury maison we are today.

“In 2024, we celebrated our centenary with Damiani 100×100 Italiani, a project dedicated to the qualities that define our country — creativity, history, craftsmanship, family and passion — because they are also the values that define our identity. They are the reason why every Damiani jewel is still conceived and handcrafted in Italy by our master goldsmiths, combining centuries-old savoir-faire with continuous innovation.

“This dialogue between heritage and creativity has continued through our high jewelry collections. Last year, for example, the collection ‘Ode all’Italia’ celebrated the beauty, landscapes, and artistic soul of our country.

“This philosophy extends to the entire Damiani Group. While for instance through Damiani we preserve and evolve the Italian goldsmithing tradition, through Venini we celebrate the extraordinary cultural heritage of Murano glassmaking. Although each brand has its own identity, they all share the same mission: to preserve, promote and reinterpret Italian excellence for an international audience.

“For me, this is what makes Italian culture so special: the ability to preserve tradition without ever standing still. It is a living culture that constantly evolves while remaining true to its identity. That is also the philosophy that continues to inspire everything we do at Damiani.”

Tiziana Fausti

Owner, 10 Corso Como and Tiziana Fausti

Tiziana Fausti is a fixture on the local retail scene. She founded her multibrand store in 1979 in Bergamo, a one-hour drive from Milan. The store became a key address for fashion enthusiasts through the years and has grown to include an e-commerce channel, and Fausti doubled her duties by taking on Milan’s legendary concept store 10 Corso Como in 2020. Ever since she has invested in renovating its spaces; enhancing the store’s product offering by scouting new labels, launching pop-ups and collaborations with brands; revamping its restaurant’s menu, and perpetuating the cultural mission of the historic retailer founded by Carla Sozzani by staging events and exhibitions. For one, in a few days the location will unveil “Viktor & Rolf. Spectrum,” the first solo exhibit in Italy dedicated to fashion designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren and among the special projects marking the store’s 35th anniversary.

“Italy is an open-air museum, a place where art and culture shape every experience. At 10 Corso Como, fashion, art and design come together in a singular vision: a flexible and theatrical platform that reinvents itself continually while expressing its unique perspective to the world.“

Rocco Iannone

Creative director, Ferrari Style

Rocco Iannone joined Ferrari in fall 2019, and has since forged the foundations and codes of its fashion and lifestyle collections that shifted from the brand’s previous merchandising, reflecting its luxury positioning. Iannone works with the most precious fabrics, staying true to the values of the legendary car maker, emphasizing the craftsmanship of specialized Italian suppliers and innovations such as the trademarked Q-cycle material derived from the processing of waste tires.

The designer holds a fashion degree from Milan’s Marangoni Institute and joined Ferrari Style from menswear specialist Pal Zileri, where he was creative director. He was previously head men’s designer at Giorgio Armani and designer at Dolce & Gabbana.

Ferrari’s first fashion show by Iannone was staged in June 2021 at the headquarters in Maranello, Italy, but the brand has since become a fixture of Milan Fashion Week. Iannone has built strong relationships with the community of Ferraristi, as well as with the music community, garnering the attention of several A-list performers, from Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Blackpink’s Lisa to Usher, Becky G and Dove Cameron.

“What makes Italian culture special is its constant pursuit of excellence. Made in Italy is not a nostalgic vision of our heritage, but a living expression of it, one that evolves through innovation, research and craftsmanship. What makes it unique is the dialogue between human ingenuity and technology. This exchange transforms expertise into innovation, preserving the value of human touch while pushing creativity and performance forward. It is this tension between tradition and progress that continues to define Italian culture and inspire the world.”

Nicolas Luchsinger

CEO, Buccellati

Nicolas Luchsinger was named CEO of Buccellati in April 2024 after previously serving as president Asia-Pacific at Van Cleef & Arpels and before that in roles ranging from retail director to heritage director at the brand, which like Buccellati is controlled by Compagnie Financière Richemont. Previously, he worked for almost 10 years at Christie’s.

With his experience in the American, Asia-Pacific and European markets, Luchsinger has contributed to further develop Buccellati internationally and boosted the home and silver businesses. Under his lead, a retrospective exhibition in Shanghai was held at the end of last year and early into 2026, a new leg of “The Prince of Goldsmiths. Buccellati Rediscovering the Classics” that was unveiled in Venice in April 2024.

“What makes Italian culture so special is the way it holds everything together at once: a rich history that still shapes us today, craftsmanship taken to its highest degree, and a lifestyle that moves naturally between casual and formal, always finding an elegant way to mix high and low.”

Read about more influential figures, from A to C and M to Z.