Saudi Cultural Development Fund Hosts Special Evening with Global Fashion Visionary Brunello Cucinelli to Empower Entrepreneurs

In collaboration with the Fashion Commission, the Cultural Development Fund (CDF) hosted an enriching cultural evening featuring the renowned luxury fashion designer and global entrepreneur Brunello Cucinelli at AlUla.

 The event, which welcomed beneficiaries from both the CDF and the commission, was part of the fund’s mission to support creatives and entrepreneurs in the cultural sector. It aimed to enhance their capabilities through developmental solutions that inspire knowledge exchange, nurture the growth of cultural projects, and drive the sector's sustainability while amplifying its economic and social impact.

 The evening aligns with the fund's objectives of creating an environment fostering innovation and collaboration by connecting global cultural sector experts with Saudi entrepreneurs and creatives and providing an inspiring and open dialogue platform for cultural exchange, sharing expertise, and best practices to offer entrepreneurs new perspectives that stimulate growth and innovation while improving the quality of their projects. The session also aimed to promote the art of fostering and integrating its diverse techniques into cultural sector projects, thereby enriching cultural identity and blending it with creativity and innovation.

 The evening featured a panel discussion titled "Brunello Cucinelli: From Castel Rigone to the World," where Brunello shared his journey from an Italian village to becoming one of the world’s renowned luxury fashion designers.

 His talk spotlighted six main themes: building a successful global fashion brand, merging heritage with innovation, sustainability in luxury fashion, social responsibility, cultural exchange, and the future of fashion. The session offered guests a deep dive into Cucinelli’s unique philosophy and valuable insights into his vision of the fashion future. Brunello also emphasized the importance of craftsmanship as a core value driving the creative and design process in fashion projects to ensure sustainability and authenticity.

 Brunello Cucinelli, who founded his luxury fashion brand in 1978 in Italy, is recognized for creating meticulously crafted pieces from the finest cashmere, reflecting the artistry of Italian craftsmanship and a commitment to sustainability while striving to improve the lives of his community and protect the environment.

 This evening builds on the CDF's efforts to develop a diverse range of developmental solutions to build the capabilities of creatives, entrepreneurs, and enterprises in the Saudi cultural sector, improve their managerial, financial, and technical skills, reduce operational and startup costs, and sustain their creativity to take their projects to new heights.

 The fund also seeks to bring together global and Saudi experts to deliver valuable content that inspires entrepreneurs and creatives, enhances the quality of their creative outputs, and empowers them to lead competitive cultural projects that contribute to the national GDP, improve the quality of life in society, and reinforce the cultural sector’s economic and social contributions.

 Earlier in November, CDF signed credit facility agreements worth over SAR30 million to finance projects in the Saudi fashion sector, aiming to empower the industry, stimulate creativity, and generate diverse job opportunities amidst the burgeoning growth the fashion industry has experienced since the launch of Saudi Vision 2030.