Inside ZEGNA's Dubai strategy: family succession, global expansion, and a record-breaking sale
It's day three of VILLA ZEGNA, an invitation-only private club that's part-fashion installation, part-cultural gathering space – which explains the immaculately dressed entourage. The six-day ZEGNA-fication of Dubai sees the opera house's state-of-the-art, 2,000-seat auditorium transformed into an undulating desert oasis of red sand and palm fronds to play host to the Summer 2026 show, an unprecedented move where the brand skipped its Milan Fashion Week presentation in favour of debuting the collection in Dubai instead.
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'Unbelievably, we even had the president of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana promoting our show here,' exclaims Gildo. 'Carlo Capasa did not take it personally that we took the show away from Milan. Rather, he believed that we exported a piece of Milan to Dubai.'
History in the making
'We brought the most fantastic show I've ever encountered,' Gildo declares. 'And I'm not just saying that because I'm Zegna! It was subtle, elegant, innovative, lightweight, and fresh.' Friend of the house Mads Mikkelsen joined regional celebrities Kadim Al Sahir, Anas Bukhash, Dhafer L'Abidine, and Boran Kuzum on the front row as Artistic Director Alessandro Sartori presented the Oasis collection of louche, lived-in looks with impressively diverse casting adding another layer of maturity and character. 'As designers, we do half of the work: the rest happens when clients interpret pieces day by day,' Alessandro shares in the show notes. 'This individual, non-standard interpretation today is on the catwalk, showing the ZEGNA view in its natural environment: life.'
It's also the first time a show has taken place alongside curated cultural programming and Very Important Client (VIC) appointments to present Dubai exclusives, making it the Italian heritage house's most ambitious achievement to date, after its centenary celebrations in 2010. 'It has been an incredible pioneering moment for us to create a fully integrated event that brings the best of Milan Fashion Week together with the best of VILLA ZEGNA,' Gildo continues. 'It's been six months in the planning, and I give credit, in particular to Edo and to Alessandro who have put together a unique experience, which I believe will be written in the history books of the company.'
The new centre of the world
During his time in the UAE, the Chairman and CEO of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group has made no secret of his conviction that Dubai is 'the new centre of the world.' And with good reason: 'Number one, because it is international. Number two, because it is affluent. Number three, because it's open to new styles,' Gildo lists. 'In the past, there used to be other important markets,' he considers. 'I think today, Dubai is the new centre of the world, because it has a modernity, an energy, and an open mind to people, to activities, to lifestyle, which is quite unique, and it's positioned right in the middle of the world, so logistically speaking, it's very attractive. I've been following the development of this market, and its evolution is amazing. And the way it's developing is going to gain even more traction.'
Furthermore, according to Angelo Zegna, CEO of the EMEA region and Global Client Strategy Director, ' Dubai Mall is our number one store in the world because we believed in the potential of this market. We have what probably is the best location in the most visited mall in the world. I believe that the Middle Eastern consumer understands the importance of quality and connected with authentic stories that ZEGNA is telling around the world. And what's even more exciting for us is how not only the local Emirati buys in Dubai Mall but then buys all over the world.'
This is in no small part due to Gildo's early investment in the city. 'We came in when Dubai Mall opened in 2008, and we were able to grasp the location at an early stage, protect it, expand it, and to renew it,' he reveals. Now currently under renovation, by October 2025 the ZEGNA boutique will boast a new salotto – a lounge for one-to-one personalised appointments for VICs.
The business of luxury
It's ZEGNA's VICs that have propelled Dubai to the top-spending store in the world, and Angelo discloses that the day after the catwalk show – the first day of private appointments at VILLA ZEGNA – yielded 'the largest transaction in the history of ZEGNA', proving the decision to merge the show with cultural conversations and a clienteling opportunity for the first time paid off.
Gildo confirms, 'We cater to clients who already own everything – from cars to homes – so unless you surprise them with novelties that create excitement, they will no longer have a reason to shop. And so, we are talking about experiences and emotions. The fashion show was an emotion because it created something extremely new that people wanted to have in an exclusive way. And this is truly the most compelling meaning of personalisation – it's owning something that's made for you only, done in a very timely way.'
Bespoke customisation has become the most valuable currency in the luxury world, and nobody is better placed to offer it than ZEGNA thanks to its unique supply chain that's fully integrated, operated, and owned 'from sheep to shop.' Of its five textile laboratories specialising in wools, linen, cashmere, jersey, and jacquard, Gildo challenges, 'What other brand has an integrated supply chain? I can't think of anybody. Fully integrated, every step of the process, from the farm in Australia down to the service of creating the ultimate bespoke garment delivered in Dubai, we control every step of the process.'
Angelo elaborates, 'From our experience, being in full control of the supply chain has been a tremendous advantage. It allows us to innovate significantly more than if we outsource production. Yesterday, we had a lovely discussion with Elie Saab, who stressed the importance of having artisans in Lebanon as part of his own company, not outsourced elsewhere. I would recommend any local designer to ensure full control of their supply chain.'
ZEGNA's succession playbook
The Zegnas aren't alone among the storied Italian fashion families making sure their names and their houses live on. 'We go by meritocracy,' Gildo proclaims. 'If they are talented, interested in working for the family, they go through a process where meritocracy and governance are very important. So, if they're good, we give them a chance. If they're not good, no chance – the same as any other executive. In the case of Angelo and Edoardo, they did it, and they report to me directly.'
Gildo accepts, 'This was also true when I was a private company. I was one of the first entrepreneurs leading a private company in Italy to introduce the notion of having an independent board of directors – more independent directors than family members. And you have to listen to them,' he quips. However, he emphasises, 'There is no intention to sell the business. On the contrary, we remain on top of the organisation, and the family retains control of the public company.'
Educated in the United States, Angelo Zegna holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BSc from The School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He then held international roles at Luxottica in São Paulo and New York, and Bain & Company in Mumbai before joining the family business as Head of Retail and Merchandising in the US market, later being promoted to Consumer Retail Excellence Director, and since 2024, CEO of EMEA and Global Client Strategy Director.
Similarly, Edoardo Zegna also graduated with a BA from Georgetown and studied at the McDonough School of Business, and via design positions at The Gap and Everlane, worked his way up from Head of Omnichannel and Head of Content and Innovation roles at the family firm before his current position as Chief Marketing, Digital, and Sustainability Officer.
Their father admits, 'You cannot generalise, and each company is different, but it depends on how you prepare them. They were schooled in the right places, they worked outside, they understand the world, they have the passion to make it, and they click with the rest of the organisation.'
Footprints in the sand
ZEGNA certainly isn't the only multigenerational Italian fashion house with a sprawling ancestral home that adds to its allure. In 1982, Brunello Cucinelli bought a castle in his home hamlet of Solomeo in Umbria, turned it into his company headquarters, and has been committed to expanding the restoration efforts ever since. Over 10 years later, Ferruccio Ferragamo, Chairman, President, and eldest son of Salvatore Ferragamo acquired the medieval village of Il Borro in San Giustino Valdarno, found in the province of Arezzo, in Tuscany. Today, Ferruccio's son, also named Salvatore, acts as CEO of the estate, now a luxury hotel, winery, and organic extra virgin olive oil distillery.
Perhaps a lesser-known legend is Oasi Zegna – a biodiverse ecosystem in Northern Italy home to half a million trees – which the house is seeking to demystify in Dubai. 'In 1910, Ermenegildo Zegna looked beyond what others could see. He had a vision and built Oasi Zegna. Where others saw a barren mountain, he envisioned a forest of more than 500,000 trees. He invested everything he had to acquire 100 square kilometres of land where people and nature could flourish,' reads the exhibition text on display at VILLA ZEGNA. Meanwhile, a soundtrack of birdsong and gambolling lambs echoes throughout the corridors of Dubai Opera, taking guests on an unexpected sensorial journey.
As Chief Marketing, Digital, and Sustainability Officer, and great-grandson of Ermenegildo Zegna, Edoardo has a strong personal connection to Oasi Zegna. 'The founder did not do it for money. He didn't do it for fame. He didn't do it for ego. He did it because he felt it was right,' insists Edoardo Zegna. 'That, to me, is a beautiful sentiment. That, to me, is timeless legacy. So, no disrespect to any other entrepreneur that is doing it today, for other reasons. But for us, it's about telling an authentic story that began over 100 years ago that's represented with one sign…'
At this point, Edoardo takes off his Oasi Lino jacket to reveal a discreet strip sewn on the back, a symbol of the 232 Road – now known as the Panoramica Zegna – that leads to the nature reserve and reforestation project in the Biellese Alps, in Piedmont, that's stamped as an insignia on ZEGNA ready-to-wear, and the last word in if-you-know-you-know brand recognition. 'This is what we like to call the window into our world.'
Empire-building according to ZEGNA
'I wouldn't call it an empire,' Gildo muses modestly of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group, before adding with a smile, 'It's a small kingdom.' In December 2021, ZEGNA became a public company by merging with a US-listed investment vehicle, raising $761 million while allowing the Zegna family to retain majority control. By 2024, the Ermenegildo Group – which now includes ZEGNA, TOM FORD Fashion, and Thom Browne – recorded revenues of €1,946.6 million, up 2.2 per cent YoY, and a profit of €90.9 million.
How has the Zegna family succeeded where so many others have failed? 'We are pioneering. A pioneer is somebody that takes risk. Without risk, you go nowhere today. When we see an opportunity with the potential to succeed that's over 50 per cent, we go. So, we are a little bit incoscienti,' he jokes, meaning 'reckless' in Italian. 'Believe in the newness and take your chances when you see potential at the outset.'
Gildo concedes that the risk of entering China in 1991 was greater than in Dubai in 2008, but recklessness comes at a price, of course. 'You have to be ready to fail,' he warns. 'If you fail, you start all over again. So, in the case of Dubai and in the case of Beijing, we were right. In other cases, which are minor, we were five years too early. Take India. I think we got in too early. Now we are back in a proper way, but that's part of the mindset.'
ZEGNA'S next moves in the Middle East
'Retail is now,' Gildo maintains. 'In particular, if you want to go direct, you have to be on top of the situation every day. So, in the region, if you take the Middle East, right now we have 15 stores, and our aim is to grow at least to 20 stores in the mid-term. Out of those 15 stores, two thirds are direct and one third is franchised, but the goal is to convert the franchising to direct over time. It's an evolution. In Dubai, we have a beautiful joint venture with Al Tayer, but we are the majority.'
The intended halo effect of migrating the Summer 2026 show from Milan and VILLA ZEGNA's Dubai Opera takeover is to propel the brand's regional success beyond Dubai. So, when it comes to the opportunity in Saudi Arabia, Gildo is watching with interest. 'We don't want to be overly distributed, but I do believe that by 2030, Saudi Arabia would be another important market,' he attests. 'You shouldn't open too many points of sale. We were offered 10 stores. I said, 'Forget about it!' We want to move gradually. Now we have one, and from one to three. We don't have a store in Jeddah yet. So, we will proceed gradually, be successful, and then move forward.'
He considers, 'How big will Saudi be compared to Dubai? That I don't know. I don't think it will ever be the size of Dubai for us, to be honest with you, but I do think an interesting part of our growth will come from Riyadh. I also think Doha can be another interesting market, but Dubai is quite unique.'
Sharing his strategy for expansion, he points out, 'The success of the brand is not like a turnkey. It's a matter of brand maturity, and how likely your brand is to be successful with the local customer. Timing is very important.' Gildo's advice to retailers is to 'See where you are today, project where you could be tomorrow, then take your own bet and follow the flows of your customer. Your customer may not be somebody else's customer, so you need to make sure you anticipate their moves.'
ZEGNA and Dubai: Two success stories, one mindset
With Dubai Mall ranking as his number one store and the highest-ever transaction in the house's history taking place at VILLA ZEGNA the day after he presented the Summer 2026 show in the city, Gildo is astute enough to observe that ZEGNA's destiny is inextricably linked to the success of Dubai. 'In the post-Covid years, I've seen an incredible explosion of this area, as you have seen with ZEGNA. I think that the two have gone hand in hand. And surely this region has partially helped the growth of ZEGNA.'
He reflects, 'The modernisation of ZEGNA has helped us become one of the leaders in the market and we understood what was needed here – product that can be wearable now, impulse-driven, and innovative.'
Dubai, like ZEGNA is on an unstoppable upward trajectory, so what advice does Gildo have for the emirate when it comes to building a sustainable, successful, multigenerational legacy just as he has done? 'It's too big a question! I'm flattered that you asked me, but I don't think that I'm entitled to give a reply,' he hesitates.
Yet never one to back down from a challenge, he responds with charm, 'Keep going in the direction you're going and keep being enthusiastic about what you're doing by building on talent, modernity, and technology. You have an incredible organisation, an incredible project, and incredible resources. So just keep doing what you've been doing, in particular in the past five years. Stay the course and make sure that the execution is top. Maybe if there is one risk, it's that Dubai might be running too fast. Make sure you keep up the quality of service, the quality of people, the quality of experience, as you have done in the past five years. Whenever I visit this market, I feel an adrenaline rush. So, Dubai needs to keep its adrenaline levels high.'
Using ZEGNA's data as an example, Gildo discloses, 'We have a thousand people visiting the store, every day. That's a lot by any standard. So, take advantage of this moment, show the world what you do best, go for newness, never give up, and keep your entrepreneurial spirit.' He adds, 'And if you ask me, I would give you the same answer about the way I run my business.' Gildo's final word? 'Make sure that you keep your high-end positioning.' And reflecting on ZEGNA's six-day domination of Dubai, he concludes, 'I think this event shows that we can go even higher.'
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