Luxury cashmere maker Brunello Cucinelli is adopting a cautious strategy for expanding in China to maintain the brand’s exclusivity, with founder Brunello Cucinelli stating that rapid growth, such as opening 50 shops annually, could commoditize the label. He emphasizes a careful approach to brand exposure, avoiding logos and paid influencers, and focusing on a unique in-store experience with staff earning limited commissions. While China currently accounts for 13% of sales, the company aims to increase this by 2% annually through 2026, amidst a backdrop of normalizing luxury sales in the country. Cucinelli believes that maintaining high-quality materials and processes is essential for exclusivity, contrasting with peers who have suffered by broadening their appeal and raising prices excessively. Despite concerns in the luxury market, he remains optimistic about China’s potential, planning modest price increases while recognizing that wealthy consumers are still discerning about their spending.