Brioni Menswear Autumn 2022

In Pursuit of The Lightness of Air could be a good headline for what Norbert Stumpfl is doing at Brioni, whose fall collection was inspired by Bruegel the Elder’s painting at Rome’s Galleria Doria Pamphilj, The Allegory of Air. “I’ve been mesmerized by this painting for a long time,” said the designer. “I wanted to capture the image of air, which is both intangible and essential, trying to create substance in the absence of weight.” Stumpfl lives in Rome; the extreme beauty and decadence of the city inspired the set he staged for the collection’s presentation in a rundown Milanese palazzo. Sounds of church bells chiming and water rippling softly from fountains, images of piazzas paved by ancient cobblestones and flocks of birds crossing terse blue skies: the atmosphere was of poetry and romance, framing a collection exquisite in execution and exceptional in the quality of its ingredients.