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Crest of a weave

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They were a tribute to Ermenegildo Zegna's biggest market. The Italian fashion house's autumn-winter 2011/12 styles presented at Milan men's fashion week earlier this year featured China-inspired pieces carefully integrated into the collection.

The highlights appeared in an ambitious interactive catwalk show titled 'In The Mood for China' that reflected Zegna's plans.

'When you get into a new product like that you never know what you are going to get,' the company's CEO, Gildo Zegna, says after the show. 'To figure out the balance of China images and the models' tempo, it wasn't easy ... but it worked and was a way to promote China and the digital world effectively.'

Gildo Zegna is following a modern strategy with his focus on China and interactive presentation; even so, it came as a shock to traditional fans of the label founded by his grandfather 100 years ago.

Sitting behind a huge blonde wood table in his Milan headquarters, the 56-year-old acknowledges there was some risk of alienating long-time supporters with the shift, but responses suggest he has won them over.

'They did not expect the jump because they still have in mind the classical Zegna that just specialises in textiles. However, the reaction is positive.

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