‘Think globally but act locally’: Gildo Zegna on his plans for the growing luxury conglomerate

Zegna might have production centres spanning Parma to Mendrisio in Switzerland but its spiritual home is in the Biella Alps in Piedmont, northern Italy. Known as Oasi Zegna, the site includes a vast nature park and the fashion house’s original wool mill, established in 1910 and still spinning yarn today. This is where the founder’s grandson, Gildo Zegna, meets Monocle to discuss succession at the fast-growing Zegna Group, which now includes US label Thom Browne and the fashion division of Tom Ford, alongside the Zegna label, which has evolved into one of the most prominent players in global luxury menswear.

Gildo, who recently moved on from the role of group CEO to become executive chairman, says that the switch is his way of “stepping up” as he seeks to ensure that the group stays nimble and competitive. Part of this involves developing the retail and customer experience through initiatives such as Salotto Zegna (exclusive shopping areas for one-to-one experiences) and the travelling, club-like Villa Zegna concept (extended events providing an immersive, “multisensory exploration” of the brand). The latter has touched down in cities from Miami to Shanghai. With revenues of €1.92bn in 2025, spearheaded by brand leader Zegna, the group now seems to be focusing on helping Thom Browne and Tom Ford to replicate some of the recent successes of their Italian stablemate. The 70-year-old Gildo, a keen skier and tennis player who personally tries on Zegna products before launch, is showing no sign of slowing down.

What’s your outlook on the luxury fashion industry, which is becoming increasingly competitive?
I’m not worried because we have a great team. My two boys [Edoardo and Angelo, now co-CEOs of the Zegna label] are very creative and have a firm grasp of how the world is changing. And our new group CEO, Gianluca Tagliabue, is a smart fellow. He’s very experienced and able to manage both the bad and the good with serenity. Zegna’s artistic director, Alessandro Sartori, is unique too. He understands the process from sheep to shop. With this set-up, we have to learn to say “no” more.

What does that mean?
We need to have priorities. Our competitive advantage since the coronavirus pandemic has been in our focus and understanding of who our customers are. We have been raising the bar and picking projects that will impress them. Pouring our efforts into service, marketing and the final product has been very important. The challenge is to be consistent: it’s relatively easy to put on a Villa Zegna event in Milan or in Oasi Zegna. But we want to achieve the same level of perfection overseas.

Does that mean you’re planning more events around the world?
There’s only one Lanificio Zegna [the house’s wool mill] and there is only one Oasi Zegna – so the key is to start from the origin. But, yes, the plan is to organise at least two major events a year. In 2025 we had some in Milan but also in Dubai, where we did a fashion show and a Villa Zegna event. The world is big enough for us to do each one differently, respecting local cultures. That’s the new mindset: think globally but act locally.

Do you see the Middle East as a big growth area?
For the Zegna brand, the Gulf represented 3 per cent of turnover pre-coronavirus and today it’s almost 10 per cent, which is incredible. I don’t know where I’ll be in five years but I’m sure that the trend will still be moving in that direction, with Saudi Arabia providing the biggest growth. We can still achieve higher productivity in the Emirates for Zegna. What we have done is remarkable. Dubai Mall is now our biggest shop in the world, surpassing our New York flagship.

You mentioned your sons’ new roles. How has it been to step away from your position as group CEO and become executive chairman?
Succession planning is very important. I promised the board that I would come up with a plan when I turned 70. I thought that it was important to take this step while I’m still mentally young and physically active. The new leadership will come to me with requests and ideas, and will want my support. But it will be different to making any direct interventions. I will go through them and it will be up to them to decide what to do. That will give me more time to focus on other things. But forget about having free time – these first few months have shown I’ll be very busy because there’s plenty to do.

You remain very much involved in the group’s day-to-day operations. Do you still want to be at the heart of things?
Yes, I want to be informed. Then I can decide how to use the information. And I want to be involved in the product. I was the first person to inspect the spring/summer 2027 pre-collection and I gave my advice. That’s what I like doing and I’m good at it. One important detail: the board decided that I remain in charge of the textile platform, which is strategic for our group. I want to achieve a better integration in textiles for Thom Browne and Tom Ford.

What was your takeaway from 2025?
Considering all of the geopolitical misfortunes, I think that we did well – and Zegna did especially well, considering that China is not at the level that it used to be. If that market turns around, we will see even better numbers. Having made cuts in our wholesale distribution, we now need to master retail. Plus, we have to develop a stronger business for Thom Browne and Tom Ford in Europe and Asia.

Given the fast-changing world, what role does innovation play for the group?
It has to be part of your mindset. I wake up at 04.00 with new ideas. Sartori is the same. We meet in the morning and ask, “Is this bullshit or is this something that could work?” If one idea out of 10 is successful, that’s fantastic. Innovation takes time. The last three successful projects took us at least two years to put together because the testing stage is extremely important. The world is immense in terms of what you can do with natural fibres and we are the best at understanding them because we own our supply chain and industrial processes. Innovating in the world of product design then becomes easy.
zegnagroup.com

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