CENTENNIAL MAN
ZEGNA’S 100- YEAR- OLD SUCCESS LIES ENTWINED IN ITS FABRICS. ANNA ZEGNA COMMENTS ON TRENDS THAT ARE NOT RUN OF THE MILL.
AT LANIFICIO ZEGNA, WE DEVELOP AND ENHANCE THE NATURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FIBRES WE USE, TO CREATE AND DESIGN NEW FABRICS WITH UNIQUE AND HIGHLY FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES THAT ENSURE BOTH INCREASED WEARABILITY AND COMFORT.
Every success story starts with an idea. A spark of creativity and a vision that takes root and begins to grow, fuelled by passion and determination. For us, this idea was and still is, grounded in a desire to produce the highest quality fabrics in the world. Since the early 1900s when my grandfather Ermenegildo began travelling the world in search of the noblest natural fibres, and built his now famous wool mill in Trivero, Italy, fabrics have been the cornerstone of our company.
We are known worldwide as one of the most important buyers of quality natural fibres and the nobility of our luxurious fabrics is based on selecting the best natural fibres directly from the countries of origin. The firm is fully vertically integrated, from the sourcing of fibres to the manufacturing of fabrics to the tailoring to the retail operations; this ensures that our brand is not only synonymous with Italian style, but with consistent quality, performance and service for our customers.
I remember the excitement I felt as a child whenever I would visit our wool mill: the fibres being washed, sorted and spun, the size of the dying vats, the devotion of the craftsmen and most of all, the looms. Grand and magnificent, the looms spun magic, transforming fibres into fabric under experienced hands to create amazingly soft and splendid textures. Lanificio Zegna is also home to the research laboratories within which we develop and enhance the natural characteristics of the fibres we use, to create and design new fabrics with unique and highly functional properties that ensure increased wearability and comfort.
Many of these innovations have become iconic components of the Ermenegildo Zegna offering— from the refined elegance of Trofeo 600, our exclusive fabric created from an intricate yarn made of superfine Australian wool
blended with first grade silk, or Trofeo cashmere, a luxurious mix of Australian superfine wool and premium cashmere, to the versatile elegance of Cashco’s cotton and cashmere blend. These fabrics, created exclusively by the brand are featured in the new Fall/ Winter collection and form part of the unparalleled collection of over 700 fabrics from which our expert tailors create fully made- tomeasure ( Su Misura) suits stamped with Zegna’s unmistakable craftsmanship.
Every season we produce new fabrics and contemporary versions of traditional ones to keep pace with tastes and trends, and the new Fall/ Winter 2012 collection is no exception. The rich offer features a contemporary re- interpretation of classic English patterns in colours inspired by nature such as in the threepiece suits in Trofeo Cashmere with mi-
cro and macro check patterns or in the parka with its innovative reversible elements down the jacket in pure cashmere and microsilk that helps regulate body temperature to keep the wearer dry and comfortable in any climate. Silhouettes are defined by straight shouldered three- button suits and jackets, as well as streamlined high- cuff trousers, to be worn with snug raglan overcoats. The sporty attitude is echoed by utility touches and the tweed- effect or macro Prince of Wales fabrics. Shorn of their usual roughness, Zegna reinvents them as sumptuous, bi- colour “Cashmere Duo”.
All of this helps create what I like to call the ‘ Zegna style’— an impeccable combination of aesthetics, excellence, quality and tradition that addresses the sophisticated and cosmopolitan tastes of the Ermenegildo Zegna man. A man for whom fine Italian craftsmanship and absolute attention to detail represents discreet luxury and a timeless connect to nature.