ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA. ITALY'S MOST FAMOUS FAMILY DRIVEN ENTERPRISES

Ermenegildo Zegna  is an Italian fashion house known for producing quality menswear since 1910, in Trivero in the Biellese prealps.  Zegna quickly gained a reputation for producing fine quality wool for suits, and by the end of the 1930s, the Wool Mill employed 1,000 workers.

In 1938 the Zegna Woollens Corporation was set up in New York although exports were not helped by the privations of war. When Ermenegildo's sons Aldo (born 1920) and Angelo (born 1924) joined the company in 1942, it was renamed Ermenegildo Zegna and Sons. By 1955, the company employed 1,400 workers. Ermenegildo died in 1966 at the age of 74. Aldo and Angelo took over the business and two years later they launched a line of ready-made suits, produced in Zegna's factory in Novara.

Zegna opened its first boutique in Paris in 1980, and today has more than 500 boutiques around the world, with flagship stores and mega-stores in every major city around the world. Zegna's offerings have expanded to include a full range of menswear, including suits, neckties, kntiwear, shirts, accessories and fragrances.

The first fragrance from Zegna was offered in conjunction with YSL Beaute. The company signed a new licensing agreement for the production of fragrances with Estee Lauder Companies in 2011.

As well as producing men's suits for its own labels, it manufactures suits for labels such as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and Tom Ford. As one of the biggest global producers of fine fabrics, Zegna has been active in promoting improvements in wool production around the world. The head designer is Stefano Pilati, formerly of Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior.

ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA. SPRING SUMMER 2015