Latest news with #GildoZegna
Arabian Business
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Arabian Business
Inside ZEGNA's Dubai strategy: family succession, global expansion, and a record-breaking sale
Such is the power of Gildo Zegna, that when he walks into Dubai Opera, 20 Italian executives in dark, exquisitely tailored ZEGNA suits suddenly appear. By contrast, the Chairman and CEO of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group, grandson, and namesake of its eponymous founder, instantly pulls focus in a light Oasi Lino linen jacket and trousers, with a fine-gauge knit artfully knotted at the neck in place of a tie – a silhouette he was born to wear – as quiet luxury personified. 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. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ZEGNA (@zegna) '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.'
The National
17-06-2025
- Business
- The National
Family and legacy: Elie Saab and Gildo Zegna on their shared formula for success
'Dubai is the centre of the world right now. This is where it happens.' That is how Gildo Zegna, chairman and chief executive of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group, which owns Zegna, Tom Ford and Thom Browne, explained why the refined gentlemen's outfitter brought its spring/summer 2026 fashion show to Dubai from its native Milan. Having transformed Dubai Opera into Villa Zegna – a recreation of the Zegna family home in Milan – for the week, the audience was invited back the day after the fashion show for a panel discussion between Gildo Zegna, his son Angelo, Lebanese couturier Elie Saab and his son, Elie Saab Junior. Such a line-up would normally signal a new joint venture, collaboration or some other business deal, but instead of being transactional, it unfolded as a surprisingly moving treatise on the importance of family, legacy and passion, as the four shared their experience of running family businesses. Both the Elie Saab and Zegna companies have grown far beyond their beginnings. Elie Saab started making couture in Beirut in 1982, and today tops an empire that spans haute couture, ready-to-wear, perfume, interiors, real estate and even yachts. Much of this was spearheaded by his son, Elie Saab Junior, who joined his father as brand director in 2012 and is now group chief executive and vice chairman. He outlined his admiration for his father, who started in a country torn apart by war. 'Seeing him have a very strong vision and a very important dream, which at the time was difficult to even think of. Taking his suitcase on a boat to Cyprus, then a plane to present his collection to clients all over the world is an inspiration on its own.' His father's passion, he explained, drew him in from a tender age. 'I remember I was three, four years old with the seamstresses in the atelier, with the design team, sitting with him in his office, seeing him create his collections. 'Living the heritage of what the brand is today, it is a dream,' he said, explaining that as a family company, it can often spill over into family life. 'There's a very blurred line between our life and our work, and most often, we live our work, and it's part of our life.' Angelo Zegna, chief executive of the Europe, Middle East and Africa region and global client strategy director, held a similar view. He described learning from his father, Gildo, from a young age, when he and his brother would skip holidays to join their father on work trips abroad instead. 'It was the best retail school we ever had,' he explained. During these excursions, he witnessed his father hiring people from other fields, because he recognised something in them that would benefit the company. 'Often these were waiters, hotel concierges, people we met on airlines. My father was believing in young people, giving them a chance.' For his part, Gildo Zegna – who expanded his grandfather's Italian textile company into a maker of refined menswear – maintains his role is to inspire others to push boundaries, describing himself as an optimist and entrepreneur. 'The master entrepreneur has to be positive,' Gildo said. 'I see the glass half full and I think that the most important thing is to keep the entrepreneurial, creative spirit 'One of the things that I'm most proud of is that we have become an employer of choice in the luxury world. It means we are doing things well. With positive energy, we believe in creating new dreams.' Angelo also explained how the company has learnt to create an environment to best harness different viewpoints. 'We think of ourselves, and of the family business, as a house where each generation builds a different floor,' he said. 'We are very respectful of what the previous generations built, but we are here to disrupt that to bring it into the future.' Finding a common language that can span the age range has been key to evolution, he added. 'Both generations started working together. We were young, they were wise.' Wisdom too, is important to Elie Saab Junior, who is grateful for the lessons his father has passed on. 'My father taught me everything I know and gave me the foundation to go through all the challenges in life and never give up,' he said. 'Patience is something I heard a lot while growing up. By being patient, one day after the other, you build strength.' These are qualities important for today, Gildo Zegna agreed. Although Zegna today is a billion dollar organisation, it is a space where 'meritocracy and entrepreneurship are very important. This is the main succession plan, and this is what you instil in the new generation.' He was also quick to lay success at the feet of the entire team. 'There is always talk about stores. I like to talk about the factories because without the artisans, what artistic director Alessandro Sartori has done would have been impossible.' As other companies look to reduce costs by shifting manufacturing to cheaper countries, Gildo is aware that his family has a deeper responsibility. 'I think that our biggest responsibility is to keep Italian companies in Italy. I can tell you that we'll be one of the few Italian companies remaining Italian.' Elie Saab Junior agreed that a company's legacy can never be taken for granted. 'You cannot sleep on it. On the contrary, you have to keep on nurturing it, keep on shaping and evolving it, because if you don't, the legacy will disappear.' Angelo recalled growing up with 'a number'. When Zegna turned 100 in 2010, John Elkann, chairman of the automotive multinational Stellantis, spelt out to Angelo and his brother that 'out of 1 million companies, only 44 make it to 100 years. And out of 1 billion, only one makes it to 200 years.' The message was clear, he said. Having made it to its centenary, the company now had to come together to stand any chance of surviving for another one hundred years. Elie Saab Junior is aware that the future of the company rests on the shoulders of his father and himself. 'I take it with a big responsibility to carry it on to the next generation,' he said. 'I'm very lucky to work with a man like my father. He's not only an inspiration to me but an inspiration to the whole world. So imagine what it is ]like] for me to work with him and learn from him every day.'
Khaleej Times
13-06-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Zegna stages its first catwalk outside Milan at Dubai Opera; redefines modern menswear
'Entrepreneurial, visionary, pioneering.' Gildo Zegna, the third-generation head of his family's menswear fashion house, is waxing lyrical about the qualities of the UAE's leadership. Qualities he recognises in the 115-year legacy of Ermenegildo Zegna, founded in 1910. 'My grandfather had this, my father had it, I have it, my children have it. We share the same spirit,' he smiles. Which is why there was only one choice for the history-making move to debut the brand's first catwalk collection outside of Milan. 'There was no competition,' Gildo confides, gesturing to the expansive interior of Dubai Opera, which has been taken over and transformed into a sand-strewn catwalk venue – a grove of Ghaf trees at its centre, private shopping experience, and immersive storytelling hub for one week. From a prosaic point of view, the data backs up the choice by Zegna – both the brand and the man – to make such a bold statement here in Dubai. Zegna's Dubai Mall store is its biggest in the world. Dubai is a hub for world travel and a magnet for 'business, families and talent' as Gildo says. It's abuzz with the energy of people, particularly the young. 'It's amazing to see the average age of our customer here,' he marvels. But it's more than just numbers that drew Zegna here, to the heart of Dubai in the middle of a baking hot June. It's that shared sense of entrepreneurism. Of visionary forward-thinking that led Zegna's founder, the first Ermenegildo Zegna, to envisage the transformative power of planting a barren Italian mountainside with half a million trees, now known as Oasi Zegna. Of pivoting from pinstriped city suiting to artfully crumpled clothes designed for living not (just) working. It's these values, of elevating the essence of life, that weave together the spirit of Dubai and Zegna. Zegna's Artistic Director Alessandro Sartori says his intention for the spring/summer 2026 collection that debuted on Wednesday, is to create clothes that reflect 'a life lived intensely'. Saturated, earthy shades, worn-in silhouettes, roll-up loafers (or no shoes at all). Sartori is happy to hand the reins of his creative expression over to Zegna's customers. 'As designers, we do half of the work: the rest happens when clients interpret pieces day by day,' he says. Of those clients, an exclusive 220 have been invited to attend private appointments in Villa Zegna, within Dubai Opera, over the course of this weekend. Here, they can order pieces straight from the catwalk, select from a 70-plus piece capsule collection created exclusively for the Dubai event and not available anywhere else (for the avoidance of doubt, a chic black label stitched into the collar simply reads Exclusive Collection), and experience a reconstruction of the founder Ermenegildo Zegna's office. There's even the possibility to secure one of just 300 numbered and limited-edition Il Conte fragrances created for Villa Zegna. Watching the fashion show, I am struck by the contrast between a vision of menswear that is intuitively tailored to the way men want to move through the world, and performative womenswear shows that often have very little resonance with real life. Zegna should also be applauded for its use of models, with every decade of adult existence represented. It's rare to see middle-aged and older female models on a catwalk, aside from the odd bit of token casting. There were also women walking the Zegna runway, reflecting the handful of female clients who cannily take advantage of Zegna's smaller sizes; the brand's iconic Triple Stitch sneakers start from a European 39 and are too good to leave to the men, moulding to your foot with second-skin precision. While Zegna the man says that Zegna the brand will remain a menswear proposition – for now – the firm does have exposure to, and ambitions for, womenswear via Thom Browne and Tom Ford Fashion, which sit under the Zegna umbrella. With visions of the UK's Princess of Wales wearing a striking olive green Victoria Beckham trouser suit last month, my eye was absolutely drawn to Zegna's vegetal-dyed suiting, layered with insouciance. Indeed, were my husband one of the select few invited to Villa Zegna's exclusive fashion showroom, I would absolutely have added to his order. Featherlight leather is knitted into breathable weaves, linen is blended with paper to create fully recyclable textiles that don't break the chain of circularity, enzymes from flowers and plants rather than chemicals create the collection's rich hues. No toxic masculinity here. Shorts are designed as suit trousers only, well, short, creating a new three-piece mix-and-match tailoring option. But, alas, my other half has yet to receive his invite, so I asked Gildo Zegna what he would recommend buying. 'Oasi Lino is a must have, with a Conte jacket, and a Secondskin sneaker. It's very Mediterranean, very Italian and fun to wear,' he says. And a world away from the dark pinstripes of 1980s formal business suits. 'When you go to a sunny country, you don't want black,' Gildo agrees, smiling with the relaxed demeanour of a menswear scion who has navigated the casualisation of his core product and emerged on the other side with a fresh approach. As I leave the catwalk venue, a screen shows drone footage of the 500,000 trees of Oasi Zegna overlaid with the word 'Forest', which gradually separates out into 'For Rest'. How refreshing that in 2025 masculinity is able to take a breath, quieten, and tune into nature, from mountain to desert.
The National
21-02-2025
- Business
- The National
Zegna chooses Dubai to unveil first collection outside Milan
Italian luxury fashion house Zegna will present its spring/summer 2026 collection in Dubai, the first time it's doing so outside of the Milan Fashion Week calendar. To be held on June 11, the brand said the presentation will be part of a week-long programme, which will be attended by "top clients, friends of the brand, and select members of the international press". A location for the event has not been revealed. 'As a company that has always looked beyond, we are excited to bring the artistry of Made in Italy to Dubai for the first time,' said Gildo Zegna, chairman and chief executive of Ermenegildo Zegna Group. 'This is not just about a fashion show – it's about reinforcing the strength of Italian craftsmanship on a global stage. "Dubai today is the centre of the world, a place where cultures converge, ideas flourish, and the future takes shape. It embodies the energy, vision, and innovation that define modern luxury. Dubai is the perfect place for us to tell the next chapter of our story.' The historic move, Zegna added, was made with the blessing of the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, the non-profit body that promotes Italian fashion and organiser of the Milan Fashion Week. "Milan will always be our home, and our partnership with Camera della Moda remains as strong as ever. But today, luxury is about movement, evolution and embracing new perspectives," Gildo Zegna said. The event will also mark the arrival of Villa Zegna, an immersive pop-up showcasing the brand's history and collections, designed in the style of founder Ermenegildo Zegna's original home. The travelling concept has made appearances in Shanghai and New York. Founded in 1910, Zegna is one of the most recognised brands in the men's clothing business today. Besides the flagship Zegna, the Ermenegildo Zegna Group also owns Thom Browne as well as Tom Ford. Speaking to The National in January, Gildo Zegna, the third generation to lead the company founded by his grandfather Ermenegildo Zegna, spoke of the importance of the Gulf markets, especially the UAE where Zegna has enjoyed a presence since 2000. 'The Gulf countries are really becoming the core for luxury," he said. "It used to be Hong Kong, but I think that the new world is here, and there is an energy here which is hard to find anywhere else."
Arab News
21-02-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Italian brand Zegna to present its Summer 2026 collection in Dubai
DUBAI: Italian fashion brand Zegna is breaking tradition by unveiling its Summer 2026 collection outside the usual Milan Fashion Week schedule, opting for Dubai as the backdrop for its runway show. The event is set for June 11. 'As a company that has always looked beyond, we are excited to bring the artistry of Made in Italy to Dubai for the first time,' said Gildo Zegna, chairman and CEO of Ermenegildo Zegna Group. 'This is not just about a fashion show — it's about reinforcing the strength of Italian craftsmanship on a global stage. Dubai today is the center of the world, a place where cultures converge, ideas flourish, and the future takes shape. It embodies the energy, vision, and innovation that define modern luxury,' Zegna added. 'Milan will always be our home, and our partnership with Camera della Moda remains as strong as ever. But today, luxury is about movement, evolution, and embracing new perspectives. Dubai is the perfect place for us to tell the next chapter of our story.' As part of the event, VILLA ZEGNA, the brand's traveling concept inspired by the original home of Ermenegildo Zegna, will also make its way to Dubai. The previous editions took place in Shanghai and New York.
