Ermenegildo Zegna
Ermenegildo Zegna was founded in 1910 in Trivero, Italy by tailor and
entrepreneur Ermenegildo Zegna. The company is often referred to simply
as Zegna.
Zegna quickly gained a reputation for producing fine quality wool suits,
and by the end of the 1930s, the outfitter employed 1,000 workers. In
1942, the company was rebranded into Ermenegildo Zegna and Sons, as Ermenegildo's
sons Aldo (born 1920) and Angelo (born 1924) joined the company.
By 1955, Ermenegildo Zegna and Sons employed 1,400 workers.
Zegna suits, long popular in Italy, were first sold in the United States
in 1938, although due to high prices, they were sold in limited numbers
during the Depression and war years.
Aldo and Angelo Zegna took control of the company in 1966 when their father
died at the age of 74. All Zegna suits were made-to-measure until 1968
when the brothers launched a line of ready-made suits for commercial sale.
The new line was produced in Zegna's factory in Novara, Italy.
Another factory was opened in Spain in 1973, and another in Greece in
1975. A Zegna plant opened in Switzerland in 1977. While many Zegna suits
are factory produced, the majority of premium suits are still made-to-measure.
Zegna opened its first retail store in Paris in 1980 then in Milan in
1985. By the year 2000, there were 300 Zegna retail locations worldwide.
Currently, the Zegna Group has boutiques in Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan,
France, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, Greece, the Philippines, Mexico,
the US, Japan, Bulgaria, Romania, Canada, China, Argentina, Brazil, Hong
Kong, Indonesia, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Poland, Australia,
New Zealand, India, Portugal and Dominican Republic.
Zegna's range of manufactured products covers fabrics, suits, neckties,
knitwear, shirts, accessories and sportswear.
Ermenegildo Zegna has a yearly output of over two million meters of fabric,
350,000 suits, one million pieces of sportswear and 1.5 million neckties.
Zegna employs 4,500 workers worldwide. Forty percent of the company's
sales are in the Americas, 40 percent in Europe and 20 percent in Asia.
Most Zegna suits cost in the US$2,000 - $3,000 range, similar to competitors
such as Gucci, Fendi, Prada, Versace and Armani. Price is dependent upon
several factors. The "Z Zegna" sport/diffusion line features suits starting
at about US$900, and tend to be less conservative in their styling. Zegna's
top line is "Couture," formerly known as "Napoli Couture."
A famous face of Zegna is Adrien Brody, an Oscar winning actor, who advertised Zegna's Spring/Summer 2003 and Fall/Winter 2003 lines.
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