The Slow Living Movement: Rejecting Chaos with Simplicity and Embracing Humanism
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In a rapidly evolving world where time is a precious commodity, the Slow Living movement has emerged as a powerful antidote to the chaotic pace of modern life.
As people find themselves yearning for a more meaningful and balanced existence, they are embracing a philosophy that encourages them to pause, reflect, and savor the simple pleasures that often go unnoticed in the hustle and bustle of daily routines.
Carlo Petrini and the Slow Living Movement
The concept of slow living has roots in the Italian slow food movement of the 1980s and 1990s, spearheaded by journalist Carlo Petrini.
Protests erupted when the first McDonald's in Italy was slated to open in Rome right by the iconic Spanish Steps. I remember well my own disorientation at the deeply-repulsive idea of a McDonald’s at the foot of the Spanish Steps.
Revisiting that memory now, something was a bit ajar. In the beginning of my real life in Roman search during this time period, I couldn’t find the yellow-arches blight that ignited a slow living movement.
As Yes Magazine reminds us in this 2013 interview with Petrini, a compromise was reached and there were no golden arches jutting overhead across the sidewalk in Rome. This may be one of the most discreet McDonalds ever leased anywhere in the world. When I saw the golden-arch mini-sign, I laughed with delight.
I note this exact McDonald’s battle rages on in historic cities in Italy and beyond today.
Europe v. America on Slow Living
In a world that constantly bombards us with information, technology, and the pressure to achieve, slow living reminds us to recalibrate and find joy in the present moment.
The idea that s[he] who has the biggest stash of expensive stuff wins the game is feeling very tired and empty of real value, among Americans who have significant discretionary income.
One of the key tenets of the slow living movement is mindfulness. It encourages individuals to fully engage with each experience and prioritize being present and connected to those around us.
In the past, Americans and Europeans just do not see a high-quality life in the same way. Slow living is just another word for laziness in the minds of many Americans.
However, in our post-COVID world, accompanied by growing climate violence and now extreme suffering in the Middle East, there are signals that American attitudes may be evolving.
Even financial markets and consulting companies like McKinsey are watching Italian brands in particular, drilling down to two brands very important at Anne of Carversville: Brunello Cucinella and Loro Piana.
Cucinella’s Financials Are on Fire
Yesterday’s McKinsey & Company profile on Brunello Cucinella got my morning coffee attention. It was followed by very good financial news as the Italian luxury lifestyle brand raised its 2023/2024 financial forecasts yet again.
Even though, we’ve written about Cucinella twice in the last month, it’s been more from the viewpoint of the family’s values as they are expressed in the company’s policies and brand DNA. And their new collection, of course.
Who do we know in the world of fashion, who gives lectures on a humanist philosophy? None to one — Brunello Cucinella.
Reiterating the concept of slow fashion and slow living for the first time in many years, every word resonates deeply with the story of this Italian brand. In this moment the Brunello Cucinella brand is a running a 30% increase in profits — outperforming a luxury market returning to normal.
This financial performance comes from a company whose workers in Solomeo have a daily 90-minute company lunch of Italian slow food.
Living in Harmony with Our Surroundings
Two more cornerstones of the slow living movement are simplicity and sustainable living. It encourages individuals to adopt a more mindful approach to consumption, making choices that align with their values and have a positive impact on the environment.
Whether it's supporting local farmers, reducing waste, or opting for secondhand alternatives, slow living prompts us to consider the wider implications of our choices and strive for greater harmony with the planet.
When Mr. Cucinelli, also known as the King of Cashmere, makes a speech about humanism and the ‘heart’ of a humanistic enterprise, by definition he is speaking in harmony with the slow living movement. His views were on full display at his 70th birthday party in September [2023], pictured above.
Slow Is Not Anti-Technology or Anti-Growth or Anti-Achieving
Slow living is easily misunderstood as expressing a desire to halt progress and rejecting technology. This is an untruth. It's about making conscious choices, setting boundaries, and prioritizing what truly matters. It's an invitation to simplify, savor, and seek a deeper connection with ourselves, others, and the world around us.
In the true spirit of ubuntu — an old-world Zulu concept advanced by two historic South Africans Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu — ubuntu reminds us — as does humanism — that we are all connected. . . that I am because of you.
Brunello Cucinelli is part of a small but global movement of successful, humanist businesspeople who are rethinking the paradigm of capitalism. Now I know that people have been rethinking capitalism for decades, but there is a change in the wind and those people don’t get enough air time.
In August AOC posted about former Apple and Burberry C-Suite talent Angela Ahrendts joining SKYY Partners — Kim Kardashian’s investment firm with Carlyle Group’s Jay Sammons.
Ahrendts is involved in the ‘New Human Movement’, probably sharing many similar views to Cucinelli. It’s time to take this trend of humanism more seriously and to cultivate it before it gets snuffed out by the nay-sayers.
In all honesty I had high hopes for this trend when AOC was formed in 2007 and it was part of my consulting practice. It just kept happening that raw capitalism, as we know it, was devouring everything in its path, turning America into an oligarchy.
For people like me, who are optimists, always with a half full glass and who believes in business, it’s been difficult to remain positive in recent years.
AOC does believe that large sectors of the luxury market are making a great effort at being more aware and altruistic. Bruno Cucinelli definitely inspires us to do our part. ~ Anne
