The Menichetti’s have a rich history in fashion. They immigrated to America in the late 1800s and brought with them the classical traditions of Italian craftsmanship. In 1968, they returned to their native Gubbio, Italy to establish the Menichetti Atelier. Blending Italian and American heritage they began to develop and produce high quality products under industrialized principles. This was a seminal time in fashion marking the emergence of prêt-à-porter and the Menichetti Atelier helped usher in this new era working for brands including Sorelle Fontana, Cerruti, Principe By Marzotto, Muriel Grateau, Jil Sander, Prada, Dolce and Gabbana, Versace and many others. Under Roberto’s leadership today, the Menichetti Atelier continues to innovate using the classic principles passed down from generation to generation.

In 1989, Roberto joined Claude Montana at GFT Group as Project Leader for the collection where he was trained in the traditional processes of working with textiles, dyeing, and pattern construction.

In 1992, Roberto joined Jil Sander. For six years he guided her research and design team for the women’s collection. For the last three years he also acted as the Project Leader for the creation and launch of the German-based company’s men’s collection. The collections Roberto developed with Jil Sander defined the style that became known as true “minimalism”. In 1997, Roberto was responsible for the first co-branding between a fashion and a sports company, Jil Sander for Puma, opening a new road in fashion.

In 1998, Roberto was appointed Creative Director at Burberry. He relaunched the iconic British brand and defined the Burberry style, blending English heritage, Windsor elegance, and extreme sports functionality. Menichetti introduced Burberry Prorsum, a new independent parent line that soon established itself as an industry force and revitalized the brand. He reclaimed the iconic status of Burberry by revolutionizing their historical pieces including the trench, the skirt, and the check. The merger of classic and modern design mixed with a youthful marketing vision drew a new audience. As a result, the many licensees were invigorated and Roberto used this energy to transform the working process with them by maximizing all systems for maintaining design integrity, material quality, and distribution channels. Sales of Burberry increased from 300M to over 675M, and the profits from 11M to over 110M in just three years. Anna Wintour presented Roberto with the honor of Designer of The Year from The Fashion Group International.