Suave Italian Designer Stars with Houston’s Best Dressed: Soccer in Cashmere Never Looked So Good

“Everyday luxury,” the term once considered an oxymoron, has gained international acceptance thanks to the transformative talents of Italian designer Brunello Cucinelli. After all, the man who admits to playing soccer in a cashmere sweater knows his rough sweats from silk parachute pants. His concept was never more apparent than on the catwalk at the Best Dressed Luncheon where Neiman Marcus introduced Cucinelli’s spring and fall looks.

As Neiman’s fashion director and senior vice president Ken Downing told the gathering of 500, paraphrasing design Cucinelli’s philosophy, “Being casual does not mean being sloppy.”

Writing about the Italian designer’s spring looks for Vogue, Tiziana Cardini noted, “This collection showed plenty of rich, tactile, almost sensuous fabrics and textures with an artisanal feel; handmade finishes abounded. Shapes were modern, totally unfussy, practical, and smart; sportswear served as a foundation around which the lineup was built, along with masculine tailoring softened by a relaxed, feminine flair.”

Click through the photos above for a look at Cucinelli’s spring and fall designs.