SER BECCARI: Pietro Beccari, chairman and chief executive officer of Louis Vuitton, received the “Cavaliere del Lavoro,” or “Knight of Labour,” honor in Rome on Wednesday.
Established in 1901 by King Vittorio Emanuele III, the title is one of the highest recognitions bestowed by the president of the Italian Republic, currently Sergio Mattarella, and recognizes 25 Italian entrepreneurs who have distinguished themselves in different sectors of the economy and contributed to social development, employment, technology and the growth of Made in Italy.
Along with Beccari, the annual honorees also included fashion designer Chiara Boni; Giovanni Sgariboldi, chairman of cosmetic company Euroitalia; Matteo Lunelli, chairman of Altagamma and Cantine Ferrari, as well as Marina Berlusconi, the eldest daughter of Italy’s former prime minister and media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi and president of the family holding company Fininvest and publisher of Mondadori for more than two decades.
“I am incredibly honored and proud of this prestigious recognition,” Beccari said at the ceremony, hosted at the Roman Palazzo del Quirinale, the 16th-century residence of Italy’s president.
“I would like to express my gratitude to the president of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, to the Federezione Nazionale dei Cavalieri del Lavoro, to Bernard Arnault and the LVMH Group for their constant support, and last but not least, to my family, always by my side in my every professional and personal achievement,” he said.
Pietro Beccari receiving the Cavaliere del Lavoro honor from Italy’s president Sergio Mattarella.
Stefano Guidoni/Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
The former CEO of Fendi and Dior, Beccari has been at the helm of Louis Vuitton since the beginning of 2023, returning at the brand after serving as its director of marketing and communications from 2006 to 2012. During this first stint, he spearheaded projects related to Italy, including in 2010 Beccari advocating to expand the Louis Vuitton atelier in Fiesso d’Artico, a 30-minute drive from Venice.
Under Beccari’s tenure as chairman and CEO, Louis Vuitton has undertaken key steps, including the appointment of Pharrell Williams as men’s creative director; the renewal of Nicolas Ghesquière’s contract as artistic director of the women’s collections; the staging of the brand’s cruise 2024 show at Italy’s Isola Bella, and the label’s sponsorship of the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona, among others.
In receiving the honor, Beccari follows in the footsteps of fashion industry personalities including Ferruccio Ferragamo; Remo Ruffini, chairman and CEO of Moncler; Federico Marchetti; Gildo Zegna, chairman and CEO of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group; Rosita Missoni; Claudio Marenzi, president and CEO of Herno; Roberto Colombo, president of Lanificio Luigi Colombo, a producer of cashmere and high-quality fibers, and Alberto Barberis Canonico, CEO of the Italian high-end woolen mill Vitale Barberis Canonico, established in 1936 on the outskirts of Biella, among others.
As reported, Beccari was announced as Knight of Labour honoree in May. At the same time, Donatella Versace was presented the title of Grand Ufficiale dell’Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana, or Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. The honor recognized her contribution to Italian fashion and culture as well as her humanitarian work.