Niccolò Chiuppesi's BENNU: Fashion as Rebirth and Responsibility

Niccolò Chiuppesi, founder of the fashion brand BENNU, discusses his approach to sustainable luxury in an interview with Artribune. BENNU exclusively uses pre-existing fabrics, accessories, and garments, transforming them through a process of 're-creation' that blends personal memory, landscape, and contemporary responsibility. The brand, named after the Egyptian sacred bird symbolizing rebirth, rejects the traditional fashion calendar in favor of slowness and contemplation. Chiuppesi, who grew up between Val di Chiana and Val d'Orcia, draws on his childhood fascination with archaeology and hidden elements underground. BENNU's collections are built from archive textiles dating from the 1970s to today, sourced from unsold stocks of historic fashion brands. The designer emphasizes that the fabric often guides the form, with visible stitching—described as 'the mark left on the earth after the seed is planted'—becoming a signature. For Chiuppesi, luxury is not about excess but about the political choice to opt out of a dysfunctional system, activating a collective memory of community, celebration, and melancholy.