Kering Revamps Tailoring Strategy: Brioni and Norbert Stumpfl Diverge

Brioni changes the direction of its design. The Italian luxury brand owned by the Kering group has put an end to Norbert Stumpfl’s time at the head of the creative department, a move that joins the recent changes in several European maisons. Following the announcement, which took place on Friday, the company has not yet communicated the name of the person in charge who will take over.

Stumpfl, an Austrian designer trained at Central Saint Martins, arrived at Brioni in 2018 to replace Nina-Maria Nitsche. Previously, the creative had held senior positions at Berluti and Balenciaga, in addition to nearly a decade as a designer at Lanvin. His background also includes experiences at Louis Vuitton and Adidas.

For the past seven years, Brioni has valued his ability to interpret the “lightness and discretion” that define the house’s style. Under his leadership, the brand modernized the traditional suit, strengthened the casual proposition and expanded the women’s line, while maintaining creative stability after a previous period of uncertainty. The brand, known for dressing generations of actors, from Pierce Brosnan to Brad Pitt, has managed to retain its loyal clientele and attract new profiles.

The change comes in a symbolic year for the company. In 2025, Brioni celebrated its eightieth anniversary with Tailoring Legends, an exhibition in Rome that laid claim to its sartorial legacy. In addition, in October the company launched the Nazareno Fonticoli School of Haute Tailoring in Penne, its birthplace, to ensure generational renewal in the trades that underpin its production model.

Brioni separates from Norberts Stumpfl after seven years of collaboration

Federico Arrigoni, CEO of Brioni, has assured that the company will continue to rely on its “artisanal heritage, exceptional materials and innovation in tailoring techniques” to advance its mission of defining the contemporary codes of Italian elegance.

Owned by Kering since 2011, the brand has been the subject of periodic speculation about a possible sale, rumors that the French group has always denied. The creative takeover coincides, moreover, with a corporate reorganization. In May, Mehdi Benabadji left Brioni management to take over Ginori 1735, also controlled by the French conglomerate. His place is taken by Arrigoni, a former Saint Laurent executive, who joined Brioni after almost two decades of experience within the holding company.

Stumpfl’s departure adds to the creative rotations that the major luxury houses are going through. Brioni now faces a new phase with no announced successor, while Kering redefines the priorities of its tailoring business in an increasingly competitive market.

Kering closed the third quarter with sales of €3.415 billion, down 5% on a like-for-like basis. The decline marked a clear improvement over the previous quarter, when sales fell 15%.