Latest news with #OasiZegna
Fashion Network
17 hours ago
- Business
- Fashion Network
Gildo Zegna on experiential retailing, storytelling and fashion's remaining El Dorado
Fashion, from mass produced to prestige, has gone through a pretty dire 12months. Though one gets little sense of that in Dubai, where Zegna staged an impressive show this week, right next to their busiest flagship on the planet. Publicly quoted in New York, though majority owned by the descendants of founder Ermenegildo Zegna, the brand's whole sense of storytelling seemed to dovetail precisely with the city state that is Dubai. Just as Dubai – bereft of oil or natural gas, unlike its neighbors such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar – had to reinvent itself as a financial hub and tourist destination. So too Ermenegildo Zegna and his descendants, developed one of the greatest fabric and manufacturing resources in fashion, even though most of their materials are sourced far from Italy. On Wednesday, Zegna presented its first-ever show outside of Italy inside the Dubai Opera, notably supported by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism. With several scores of editors flown in by Emirates, the world's biggest airline. Ads on plane screens advertising branded luxury skyscrapers as great investment opportunities – with buildings named after luxury marques like Bulgari, Bugatti and Mercedes Benz. Zegna's show took place between the ever bustling Dubai Mall, and Burj Al Khalifa, the world's tallest building where Giorgio Armani opened his first hotel over a decade ago. 'We opened in Dubai in the early 2000s. We were one of the first brands to believe in Dubai Mall. Now, more than 25 years later, our number one store is inside that mall. We have been pioneers. First, we did franchising, and then we took over. It cost me a fortune to buy that back! Now we have a joint venture with Al Tayer, though we have the majority. We are very happy with the arrangement. And we manage the business, but they support us,' explained Gildo Zegna, CEO and grandson of founder Ermenegildo Zegna. See catwalk Zegna now boasts four doors in Dubai; two in Saudi, – in Jeddah and Riyadh – with another three opening. Plus stores in Qatar, Doha and Bahrein. 'We are quite well established with some 15 doors, and opening another five,' notes Gildo. While in Dubai, the north Italian brand also unveiled its latest Villa Zegna, part uber luxe pop-up with unique products, part installation explaining the marque's history, and the foundation of Oasi Zegna. A 100-square-kilometer mountain in the lower Alps, Ermenegildo acquired in 1910, where the family then planted with 500,000 trees. 'This is a very big week for us. It's about sharing visions,' said Gildo's son Edoardo, the brand's CMDSO, at a greeting dinner on shores of the Gulf in the Four Seasons Jumeirah Hotel. 'The vision of the family I am part of. The vision that my great grandfather had with Oasi. And the vision of Dubai, to have built such a unique place. In many ways, the capital of the world.' Added Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing: 'I was fascinated listening to how Oasi Zegna started, and their story telling and vision. And the way a brand can punch above your weight. And we wanted to promote that, so the whole world sees what Dubai is – like Zegna - an entrepreneurial vision!' Today, Kazim noted, 90% of Dubai's population is foreign, and that number continues to grow. Another reason the state was so keen to support Zegna staging here this week. Edoardo's younger brother Angelo is head or EMEA, in a more organizational role, handling sales, retail and the new client experience, essential for a modern retailer. 'Here we have 150 VICS here this week, who we take through a unique personalized experienced seeing product that you cannot see in any store. You have to remember this is an incredible international hub. We are talking about 30 different nationalities purchasing in Zegna stores in Dubai, every day!' enthused Gildo. Tourism is an essential key to the economy of the Emirates. There are 200 different nationalities living in Dubai. And over 100 million visitors to this country every year, noted Gildo. See catwalk 'That's more than New York, more than London, more than Paris. It makes you realize that this is the new center of the world. And understand why you are here,' he underlined. Driving the brand's success is designer Alessandro Sartori 's aesthetic – deconstructed tailoring, lighter fabrics and a more relaxed look work. Ideal for this region, with its intense climate. 'Yes, Ale's style and aesthetic does suit this region. But that is also true about the southern parts of the United States, or Southeast Asia. The world, whether we like it or not, is getting warmer, and I think that his 'seasonless' fashion works extremely well. We have linen in winter, and cashmere in summer and we sell both across the year. Traceable materials that are all extremely lightweight. They are conceived for these countries in particular in colors that would be hard to sell in Europe," continued Gildo. Bucking a global trend, Gildo remains very much a believer his retail business. A policy, which has been bearing fruit. Despite the high fashion downturn internationally, the Ermenegildo Zegna Group – which also includes Tom Ford and Thom Browne – scored profits of €184 million, earned on a 2% rise in revenues to €1.945 billion in 2025, where Zegna accounts for 69% of revenues, and 85% of profits. 'We are 85/15 retail to e-commerce right now and we have turned most of our wholesales business into a concession model - starting in the United States. So, we control our business, whether we are in Selfridges, Harrods, Rinascente, Bergdorf, Saks or Nordstrom. There is a Zegna boutique controlled by us. We buy the merchandise and we design and run each store. So, we have a direct rapport with the customer. That is vital as the customer is very fluid. Here today and gone tomorrow to another brand. So, one has to offer you impeccable service, which we try very hard to achieve," the CEO concluded.
The National
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Zegna's first show outside Italy is a love letter to Dubai
Zegna, the Italian master of quiet luxury, just staged its first fashion show outside Italy. On Wednesday, it transformed Dubai Opera into an oasis of fashion, with nods to both Italy and the UAE. Guests were greeted by birdsong recorded in Oasi Zegna, the land planted as a forest by the founder, as they took in the set of sand dunes, native ghaf and palm trees, and a sand-strewn floor. Across 54 looks, the spring/summer 2026 show delivered a masterclass in the impeccable, laid-back dressing Zegna is known for, formed from elegant cuts and astonishing materials. About 600 guests, many of whom were flown in for the event, witnessed the unfolding of a typically discreet palette that shifted from cream and bone, through olive and fern green to autumnal dark red and mulberry, played out across quietly remarkable pieces. The art of understatement As with everything Zegna does, this was about layered nuance. Unlined jackets were casually worn over collared shirts of perforated suede, laser-cut in dogtooth patterning; tabard tops were spun from linen and paper; and cotton ticking became summery suit jackets and matching shorts. Crumpled linen was cut into boxy jackets, and woven into airy polo tops, while loose shirt jackets and even scarves arrived in Zegna's new 'washable leather'. In a nod to the host city, 25 of these runway looks were made especially for the Dubai show. The subtle brilliance of Zegna is best seen up close, when the true beauty of its pieces becomes apparent. Knitted suede tops, roomy crocheted tops that hang just-so, jacquard jackets that resemble tweed, and actual tweed spun into a light summer coat – this is a house that has mastered the art of understatement. The show featured a diverse cast of models – from teenage to septuagenarians – some barefoot, all restrained and elegant. Although predominantly featuring male models, there were a few women on the runway, clad in the same menswear as a sign of its wearability. As owners of its own factories (to oversee a process it calls 'sheep to shop'), Zegna can push boundaries of what is materially possible. As creative director Alessandro Sartori explained ahead of the show: 'Through this experimentation, we are finding a lot of new ideas.' In turn, these become new propositions for today's client. 'There is a huge space between classic and avant-garde menswear that we can explore,' Sartori said. The looks paraded in the opera house suggests this is not a middle ground, but instead a new frontier; making daily uniforms for the ultra-refined, using hyper-modern materials and devoid of logos, for a if-you-know-you-know cache. Stepping into Villa Zegna Zegna's polished ethos extends well beyond the runway, too. Part of the opera house has been converted into Villa Zegna, a private invitation-only club open for five days. Named after the original family house in Northern Italy, Villa Zegna allows clients to sample the new limited-edition Il Conte fragrance (created as a run of just 300 and housed in Murano glass bottles), and gain exclusive access to the Dubai capsule collection. Separate from the fashion show pieces, these additional 70 or so items cater to the lives of the ultra-rich – think croc skin jackets tumbled to the suppleness of suede, and hoodies in creamy cashmere. In a moment of Narnia-like charm, this arena can only be reached by passing through a rail of suits, which represents the wardrobe of founder Ermenegildo Zegna. Elsewhere, to ensure its guests glean the most from their visit, Zegna enlisted Dubai Tourism to guide them around the city Zegna describes as being a 'celebration of vision'. Such is the level of precision at Zegna, that every detail – from triple-stitched moccasins to leather-covered buttons – is catered to. Accordingly, choosing Dubai for its first venture beyond its homeland does not feel coincidental. Carefully considered, the city has been selected for the values it shares with the storied Italian house. As one reaches for the sky, the other deals in the height of quality and sophistication. Both are fascinated by the intersection of the innovative and the remarkable. And if this evening were anything to go by, it is a quest without end.
