The Legend Begins

In the small town of Trivero, set in the Biellese Alps of Italy’s Piedmont region, the year 1910 marked the birth of what would become the world’s leading luxury menswear brand. Ermenegildo Zegna, born in 1892, was the youngest of ten children of Angelo Zegna, a watchmaker who had started weaving wool using four looms. At just 18 years old, the young Ermenegildo, together with two of his brothers and a partner named Costanzo Giardino Vitri, founded the Lanificio Zegna & Giardino, a wool mill with an audacious vision: to create “the most beautiful fabrics in the world.”

From the very beginning, Ermenegildo distinguished himself through relentless ambition. He traveled repeatedly to England to import cutting-edge machinery, and began sourcing the finest raw materials from Australia, Mongolia, South Africa and Peru. By the late 1930s, his fabrics had gained international acclaim, the company employed around a thousand workers, and in 1938 he established the Zegna Woollens Corporation in New York, becoming a pioneer in distributing Italian fabrics to tailors abroad. The first Zegna logotype was registered in 1939.

The Founder’s Vision

Ermenegildo Zegna was not merely an industrialist; he was a visionary who understood that prosperity must extend beyond the factory walls. Driven by a profound awareness of the importance of natural resources, he launched a vast reforestation project in the mountains overlooking Trivero as early as the 1930s, planting over 500,000 coniferous trees. He built the Panoramica Zegna, a scenic road linking Trivero to the tourist resort of Bielmonte, and invested in hospitals, nursery schools and housing for his workers. His entrepreneurial philosophy, combining industrial excellence with social responsibility and environmental stewardship, was revolutionary for the era.

In recognition of his achievements as both an entrepreneur and a philanthropist, Ermenegildo was awarded the title of Cavaliere del Lavoro (Knight of Labour) in 1930 and later received the title of Count of Monte Rubello. His vision of harmony between industry and nature laid the foundation for what would eventually become the Oasi Zegna, a 100 square kilometre natural territory in the Biellese Alps that remains a living testament to the founder’s values.

Rise to Excellence

The journey from a Piedmontese wool mill to a global luxury powerhouse unfolded across generations. In the 1940s, Ermenegildo’s sons Aldo and Angelo joined the company, which was renamed Lanificio Ermenegildo Zegna e Figli. When they took the reins in 1966, the second generation introduced a transformative chapter: the launch of Zegna’s first ready-to-wear collections. In 1968, a new factory opened in Novara dedicated to producing finished garments, marrying the sought-after Zegna fabrics with fine Italian tailoring craftsmanship.

In 1963, the Ermenegildo Zegna Wool Trophy Awards were established in Australia, a prestigious prize designed to reward the best breeders of superfine Merino wool, followed by the Mohair Trophy for South Africa in 1970. The first Zegna monobrand boutique opened in Paris on Rue de la Paix in 1980, followed by Milan in 1985. But perhaps the most pioneering move came in 1991, when Zegna became the first luxury menswear brand to open a boutique in mainland China, in Beijing, a visionary bet that would prove enormously profitable in the decades to come.

Iconic Creations

Zegna’s legacy is woven through its iconic fabrics and innovations. The Trofeo collection, crafted from the finest Australian superfine Merino wool, has become synonymous with exceptional softness, durability and elegance, remaining a cornerstone of the brand’s offerings for decades. The Traveller collection introduced performance-oriented suiting for the modern executive, while the Su Misura (made-to-measure) service elevated personalized tailoring to an art form. In 2018, the brand introduced Technomerino, a high-performance washable wool, and the innovative Triple Stitch sneaker, which became a gateway product attracting a younger clientele with an average customer age of around 33.

In 2019, Artistic Director Alessandro Sartori unveiled the #USETHEEXISTING project, an initiative entirely made with innovative processes from pre-existing sources, reinforcing Zegna’s commitment to sustainability. The Oasi Lino and Oasi Cashmere collections have since expanded this philosophy, offering full traceability from seed to garment via QR code hang tags. Each creation embodies Sartori’s vision of “uncomplicated, chic luxury,” blending traditional tailoring rules with sportswear sensibility in a way that has redefined modern menswear.

The Numbers: Empire Today

The Ermenegildo Zegna Group is now a publicly traded global luxury powerhouse, listed on the New York Stock Exchange since December 2021 under the ticker ZGN. In fiscal year 2024, the Group reported revenues of €1.95 billion, with a profit of €90.9 million. The company employs more than 7,100 people worldwide and operates through three complementary brands: ZEGNA, the flagship menswear label which alone generated €1.16 billion in revenues; Thom Browne, the New York-based modern tailoring brand acquired in 2018; and TOM FORD FASHION, whose business was acquired in 2023.

The ZEGNA brand counts 281 directly operated stores worldwide, with major markets in the Americas, EMEA, Greater China, Japan and South Korea. The Group controls its entire supply chain through the Filiera, a network of nine specialized Italian textile producers, with the original Lanificio in Trivero remaining the heart of fabric production. Looking ahead, Zegna has set medium-term targets of reaching €2.2 to €2.4 billion in revenues by 2027.

The Legacy Continues

Under the leadership of Chairman and CEO Gildo Zegna, grandson of the founder and a third-generation family member who assumed the CEO role in 1997, the Group has navigated a remarkable transformation. Gildo, born in Turin in 1955 and educated at the University of London and Harvard Business School, orchestrated the company’s public listing, the strategic acquisitions of Thom Browne and Tom Ford Fashion, and the expansion into a multi-brand luxury group, all while preserving the family’s controlling stake. He was awarded the title of Cavaliere del Lavoro in 2011, echoing the honour bestowed upon his grandfather decades earlier.

Artistic Director Alessandro Sartori, who returned to Zegna in 2016 after a stint at Berluti, continues to redefine the brand’s creative identity with his philosophy of blending heritage craftsmanship with contemporary ease. The company invests heavily in sustainability through its Oasi Zegna nature preserve, where a tree is planted for every baby born into the company, and through traceable supply chain initiatives. As the brand marks 115 years in 2025, now in its fourth generation of family ownership, Zegna remains committed to the founder’s original vision: that industry, community and nature can flourish together.

Why It Matters

Ermenegildo Zegna represents far more than a fashion label; it is a living testament to the power of visionary entrepreneurship rooted in craftsmanship, community and environmental responsibility. From a small wool mill in the Biellese Alps to the world’s largest luxury menswear brand, Zegna’s story demonstrates that true luxury is not merely about fine materials or impeccable tailoring, but about a philosophy that endures across generations. For connoisseurs who value substance over spectacle, Zegna remains the definitive name in modern elegance.