Nino Cerruti

On January 15, 2022, Italy said goodbye to one of the last big names in Italian tailoring, Nino Cerruti. Born in Biella into a family of textile industrialists, born in 1930, he lost his father at the age of twenty and inherited his business. Entrepreneur, creative, designer, from 1967 to 2001 he created styles and trends and remained, until the end, at the helm of the historic family wool mill.

In 1967 he opened his first single-brand Cerruti 1881 boutique in Paris and continues to do research in the company, focusing on innovation and emerging names on the Italian scene such as Giorgio Armani.

In the 1970s he created the first deconstructed men's jacket, which soon became a must nationally and internationally. This garment is characterized by lighter shoulder straps and a soft and comfortable fit thanks to the cotton canvas lining. The jacket thus loses its stiffness, becomes informal, suitable for everyday use and especially appreciated by young people.

His strong entrepreneurial vocation led him to experiment with new fabrics and to launch the teal color on the fashion market, a new cold nuance between turquoise and petrol green. The deconstructed men's suit tells a style inspired by the past but projected into the future and represents Cerruti's artistic and at the same time very concrete soul very well. Soon the Piedmontese designer saw the need to diversify: he created the women's clothing line, the casual line, the first men's perfume and the sportswear line.

The success increased in the early 90s when the brand, as well as in the world of tennis and skiing, appeared in that of Formula1 and the Ferrari brand. He dresses actors and stars in private life and in motion pictures, such as Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford and Clint Eastwood.

In 2000 Nino Cerruti was appointed Cavaliere del Lavoro by president Ciampi.

Proud and always elegant, he will remain a pillar of the history of Italian fashion.

Elisa d’Adamo

NP Marzo 2022