Renowned family-owned luxury brands – from watches to winemaking – continue to thrive as future leaders take the helm. Blending rich heritage with bold innovation, they honour their founders’ legacies while evolving to meet modern tastes, ensuring their timeless appeal and cultural relevance for years to come.
Dolce & Gabbana champions Italian heritage, uniting artisanship and innovation through mentorship and sustainable partnerships – preserving centuries-old traditions while inspiring generations of designers to shape fashion’s cultural future.
Dolce & Gabbana stands as a guardian of Italian heritage, propelling artisanal mastery into the future. Through instructive exhibitions, cross-generational mentorship programs, and sustainable partnerships, the brand honours tradition while empowering new voices. Landmark exhibitions immerse visitors in Italy’s artistic traditions, showcasing and celebrating techniques dating back to the 1800s, from haute couture and handmade accessories, to mosaic gowns, and live seamstress demonstrations.
Awards affirm their cultural role: the Craft & Italian Artisanship Award at the CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards 2023, and CEO Alfonso Dolce named a “changemaker” in Craftsmanship by the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana in 2024 for example. Acknowledging their role in sustaining Italian artisanal culture, these and many other accolades inspire the next generation. Artisan workshops, including the in-house Botteghe di Mestiere, ensure knowledge transfer to new generations.
Partnering with Italian fashion schools, they pass on bespoke tailoring and haute couture skills. Dolce & Gabbana’sGen D – Generation Designers initiative unites emerging international designers with artisans, blending global creativity and Italian craftsmanship. With 93% of spending focused in Italy and strategic ties to local workshops, Dolce & Gabbana anchors craftsmanship in sustainable roots, preserving unique skills and centuries-old traditions. Their work keeps Italian culture, art and traditions alive in a dialogue between heritage and evolution.
Luxury’s oldest family brands with new lineages continuing their legacy and shaping tomorrow.
Founded in 1385, Marchesi Antinori is now led by the 26th generation — sisters Albiera, Allegra, and Alessia – the first women to helm the historic wine dynasty. As President, Albiera drives global strategy, oversees estate development, and chairs the winery in Piedmont. Allegra manages their international restaurants and cooking schools, while Alessia curates the Antinori Art Project linking wine, heritage, and contemporary art.
The House of Creed, family-owned since 1760, is led by sixth-generation Olivier and seventh-generation Erwin Creed as Creative Directors. Erwin, who began learning the craft at eight, now co-creates bestselling scents and manages business operations. Together, they travel globally to source premium ingredients. In July 2025, Erwin opened Creed’s first flagship boutique in India, expanding the brand’s global presence.
Granted trading rights by Queen Marie de’ Medici in 1613, Mellerio dits Meller has been family-run for over 400 years. Today, 15th-generation Côme and his mother Laure-Isabelle are modernising the brand with a 2024 Bergdorf Goodman debut and new collections like Color Queen and Cabinet de Curiosités. Fourteenth-generation François and Olivier Mellerio continue to support the family legacy.
From fashion to supercars and pianos, multi-generational houses like Cucinelli, Pagani, and Steinway blend artisanal mastery with technology to redefine luxury through vision and digital storytelling.
Italian hypercar manufacturer Pagani Automobili fuses artisanal tradition with cutting-edge AI to push the boundaries of performance and luxury. Founded in 1992 by Horacio Pagani — who remains CEO and Chief Designer — the company now includes his sons, Leonardo and Christopher, in leadership roles. Pagani integrates AI across design and engineering, from computational modelling of carbon-titanium structures to client customisation tools offering real-time rendering. The recently unveiled Utopia Roadster features Pirelli Cyber™ Tyres with embedded sensors that feed live data to optimise traction and braking. Pagani’s vision is a marriage of beauty, human touch, and technological precision.
Italian luxury house Brunello Cucinelli masterfully weaves heritage with innovation, redefining modern luxury through its humanistic approach to AI. Founded in 1978 and still family-led, the brand is renowned for artisanal craftsmanship and sustainable, slow fashion. While resisting automation in design, Cucinelli has embraced tech in areas like inventory management, supply chain efficiency, and CRM. In July 2024, it launched BrunelloCucinelli.ai — an immersive platform developed with Solomei AI, a research company it founded in 2021. The site offers a poetic digital journey guided by AI trained in philosophy, art, and engineering. Framed as “human artificial intelligence,” the brand’s approach blends technological innovation with deep respect for human values and timeless craft.
Steinway & Sons, founded in 1853 and still guided by family descendants, seamlessly blends timeless craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. Renowned for premium pianos, the brand harnesses AI and data analytics to optimise acoustics and refine precision manufacturing. In June 2025, Steinway launched SPIRIOCAST, an innovation that streams ultra-high-resolution performance data (hammer velocity and pedalling) alongside synchronised video and audio from a Spirio | r piano to multiple Spirio receivers worldwide. This fusion of tradition and modern technology enables a global audience to experience the artistry and exactitude of Steinway’s masterful sound in real time.
Laurent Ferrier – founder of his eponymous French luxury watchmaking house – is passing on craftsmanship and savoir-faire to his son, ensuring the past is carried forward into the future.
Established in 2009 by master watchmaker Laurent Ferrier — a third-generation craftsman and former technical director at Patek Philippe — this eponymous brand reflects a deep commitment to artisanal excellence and family heritage. A heritage in the process of being transitioned to the next generation.
Laurent launched Laurent Ferrier when he was in his sixties 24 years ago, and today his ethos is as clear as it ever was: “To produce fewer pieces with the highest level of care and excellence than compromise for volume,” he clarifies. In fact, fewer than 600 watches are produced annually, and each is assembled, finished, and adjusted by a single watchmaker, who works on a watch from start to finish. This hands-on dedication is unusual in today’s mass manufacturing landscape and ensures that every watch carries the heart and soul of one craftsman.
“I’ve never tried to impose a vision, only to share a passion,” he continues. “The savoir-faire I’ve cultivated throughout my career is passed on daily. As for creative leadership, it’s a dialogue between generations. I make sure everyone follows my vision of watchmaking, while allowing room to interpret; to suggest as long as it remains true to our philosophy.”
Today, Laurent Ferrier is evolving under the guidance of Christian Ferrier, Laurent’s son and Head of Brand Patrimony. Laurent is gradually passing on the expertise he has accumulated over 52 years in the industry. It’s something he describes as: “deeply natural and almost instinctive — it’s also the reason why I started the company initially to be able to share with my son Christian.”
This transition is more than a generational handover; it is a dialogue that merges the past with contemporary vision. Christian’s growing role marks the brand’s future, combining artisanal excellence with purposeful advances like incorporating silicon components and LIGA technology in their movements. “Innovation must serve our aesthetic and how the watch performs, but never disrupt it,” Laurent emphasises.
Some elements of Laurent Ferrier’s DNA remain non-negotiable, such as, “the purity of lines, the balance of proportions, the finesse of finishing, and of course, the technical performance of our movements,” says Laurent. “That’s what defines the timeless elegance I’ve always sought.”
Ferrier’s commitment to small quantities and handmade precision is rare. Asked why this is, despite growing demand, Laurent says, “Because our work simply cannot exist without the human hand. Each watch we create is the result of a time of close observation, of patient expertise.” He continues, “Automation may simplify some processes, but it cannot replace the soul that a craftsman breathes into every component.”
This ethos fuels the brand’s steady evolution — crafting watches that pay tribute to generations of knowledge. The brand is a conversation between father and son, between history and innovation. It speaks to a future where craftsmanship is cherished and every watch tells a story.
Stepping beyond the family brand, these offshoots are redefining what it means to honour the past.
Delfina Delettrez, fourth-generation heiress of the Fendi family, launched her eponymous fine jewellery brand in 2007. Blending traditional Italian goldsmith craftsmanship with cutting-edge 3D printing and surreal, anatomical motifs, her designs challenge convention. Handmade in Rome, her work merges heritage with modernity, creating a futuristic aesthetic that honours her lineage while pushing the boundaries of luxury jewellery design for a new generation.
Margherita Maccapani Missoni, granddaughter of Missoni’s founders, launched Maccapani in 2023 — reframing family legacy with a refined, post-streetwear aesthetic. Gender-neutral and digitally driven, the brand blends advanced Italian jersey, immersive tech and resale culture. From AR-enabled collections to vintage-furniture pop-ups, Maccapani challenges tradition with a future-focused vision of Italian luxury.
Sustainable outdoor brand Sease was founded in 2016 by Franco and Giacomo Loro Piana, drawing on their family’s textile legacy. Bridging the gap between high-end fashion and functionality, Sease uses Merino wool and ocean-recycled fabrics to create performance-driven, sustainable designs that reinterpret Italian heritage for the next generation.
These storied brands celebrate major milestones – proof not only of their longevity, but of how they’ve evolved with each generation to uphold enduring excellence.
Celebrating 150 years of horological excellence this year, Audemars Piguet marks its anniversary with a series of exclusive releases and immersive experiences. Still family-led, with Olivier Audemars as Vice Chairman, the Swiss maison pays tribute to its heritage with limited-edition timepieces like the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar “150th Anniversary” and the Code 11.59 Grande Sonnerie Carillon. A global touring exhibition, The House of Wonders, explores the brand’s history and innovation, while a newly launched digital platform offers interactive watch-building and virtual access to their Swiss manufacture. Audemars Piguet continues to blend tradition with forward-thinking craftsmanship.
Fendi marks 100 years of Italian luxury with a series of landmark celebrations throughout 2025. The anniversary collection debuted at Milan Fashion Week AW25, featuring archival-inspired designs created with founding-family members Silvia Venturini Fendi and Delfina Delettrez. The house also launched seven new fragrances, two commemorative books, and a special-edition stamp issued by Italy’s Ministry of Enterprises. From scent to silhouette, Fendi honours 100 years of craftsmanship and creativity while looking confidently to the future — a testament to how the global powerhouse evolves with each generation, always staying at the forefront of luxury fashion.
Marking nearly five centuries of precision and prestige, Beretta is the world’s oldest family-owned firearms manufacturer. Still helmed by the 15th generation, Franco Gussalli Beretta, the brand celebrates its 500th anniversary in 2026 with a series of global events. Highlights include the July 2025 Beretta World sporting event in London, showcasing the limited-edition DT11 Pyramide shotgun, and a heritage press trip to the family’s villa, museum, and factory. With exhibits, limited editions, and a major celebration planned for 2026, Beretta continues to honour its craftsmanship while evolving for the future.
Family-led shipyards like Benetti, San Lorenzo, Riva, and Amels blend heritage with innovation, shaping the future of yachting while paying tribute to decades of craftsmanship.
Riva, founded in 1842, is a symbol of enduring Italian craftsmanship — blending timeless elegance with a forward-thinking spirit that continues to shape the future of yachting. Though now under the Ferretti Group, Riva’s is deeply rooted in family values and generational renewal. Recent innovations include El-Iseo, its first fully electric runabout, merging classic design with sustainable propulsion. The award-winning Riva 82’ Diva exemplifies modern spatial innovation, while a new full-custom steel mega yacht line marks Riva’s entry into large-scale superyachts. Expanding beyond the sea, Riva Residenze brings its maritime aesthetic to residential design, lifestyle boutiques, and lounges. Bold, expressive, and unmistakably Italian — Riva is charting the next chapter in design, performance, and lifestyle, on and beyond the water.
Amels, founded in 1918 and now led by Rose Damen under the Damen family, merges over a century of craftsmanship with a sharp eye on the future. Its Amels 80 Limited Editions — launched globally in 2023/24 — combine timeless design with hybrid propulsion, sustainable materials, and customisable interiors by Sinot and Espen Øino. The series introduces a fast-delivery model, offering semi-custom builds without compromising luxury. The upcoming Amels 8003, now in outfitting, continues this vision and is set for delivery in late 2026. Through a mix of innovation and refined tradition, Amels is redefining the future of modern superyachting.
At the helm of Italy’s Sanlorenzo since 1958, the Perotti family continues to steer this iconic shipyard into the future, fusing artisanal heritage with forward-thinking design. Known for bespoke luxury yachts, Sanlorenzo is redefining sustainability through its partnership with MAN Engines to develop a bi-fuel green methanol propulsion system — debuting on the 50 X-Space in 2027 — that will cut emissions by up to 70%. This commitment extends ashore with Casa Sanlorenzo, unveiled in Venice in June 2025. More than a showroom, it’s a cultural statement: home to a curated art collection and the “Sanlorenzo Talks” on ecological transition and sustainable innovation.
Archives are living resources – fuelling creativity, guiding craftsmanship, and connecting generations.
Family-led homewares house Pierre Frey, now run by the third generation, holds 25,000 archival documents dating to the 16th century. By digitising and reimagining patterns from storied names like Braquenié and Le Manach, they use the DNA of the past to inspire fresh, heritage designs.
At interior designer Rubelli, legacy isn’t just preserved — it’s carefully curated. Through Fondazione Rubelli, the fifth-generation Venetian textile house safeguards over 50,000 artifacts, from samples and weaving patterns to rare 18th-century velvets. More than history, the archive is a living blueprint for future design.
Historic brands are redefining sustainability and ethics. Venetian glassmaker Barovier & Toso proves that true luxury values artistry and care for the planet.
Family-owned heritage brands have long been synonymous with craftsmanship and artisanal excellence. Today, these values are being infused with a commitment to sustainability and ethical innovation. Among them, Venetian glassmaker Barovier & Toso stands as a beacon, blending nearly 730 years of tradition with environmental stewardship, proving that true luxury cherishes both artistry and the planet.
Founded in 1295, Barovier & Toso remains deeply rooted in Murano, Venice — the heart of artisanal glassmaking. Direct descendant of the founding family, Iacopo Barovier, is at the company’s helm. His leadership not only preserves the brand’s artistic vision but also drives strategic decisions about its future, placing sustainability in the limelight, without compromising heritage.
Barovier & Toso exemplifies how centuries-old craftsmanship can coexist with environmental responsibility, embracing cutting-edge technology to reduce its ecological footprint. One of the most significant achievements has been the installation of advanced filtration systems, including bag filters and dust collectors, which have resulted in a 99.8% reduction in particulate emissions. This milestone underscores the brand’s dedication to safeguarding both the health of its artisans and the environment.
Water conservation is another priority. Barovier & Toso has implemented water recovery and purification systems that prevent untreated wastewater from entering the Venetian lagoon. By protecting this unique environment, the brand demonstrates a deep respect for its local heritage and surrounding area.
Energy efficiency is embedded throughout Barovier & Toso’s operations. The company recycles waste heat generated from its glass furnaces to heat buildings and process water, enhancing overall energy efficiency. Additionally, it offers energy-efficient LED products equipped with DALI-dimmable options, aligning sustainable living with product innovation.
Even packaging reflects the brand’s sustainability ethos. All materials used are recycled and fully recyclable, minimising waste and fostering a reuse economy. This meticulous attention to detail in packaging complements the care invested in every glass piece.
Sourcing is also consciously managed, as Barovier & Toso prioritises local raw materials to shorten supply chains and minimise transportation emissions. The production process even uses sand and water from the Venetian lagoon to craft its crystal, further reducing environmental impact while supporting Murano’s artisans and economy. The company’s exclusive formula for Venetian crystal avoids the use of harmful chemicals like arsenic or lead, ensuring environmental safety.
By continuing to use time-honoured artisanal processes — enveloped in sustainable practices that tread thoughtfully toward the future — Barovier & Toso also safeguards the livelihoods of its craftspeople, preserving ancient techniques and ensuring rare skills and crafts are passed down through generations.
Preserving its heritage while advancing sustainable design, Barovier & Toso stands as a fascinating example of how legacy brands can lead luxury toward a future where exceptional artistry and environmental responsibility go hand in hand.
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