In 1910, Ermenegildo Zegna established his namesake fashion brand in the mountains of Piedmont Northern Italy, built on the natural territory’s purposeful principles and community ethic. Fast forward to over a 110 years later and Zegna has become synonymous with Italian luxury. Its legacy has been upheld by Ermengildo’s family, who have kept the brand alive through years of considered reinvention.
In December of 2021, it was announced that Ermenegildo Zegna will be undergoing a rebrand — adopting a singular name, Zegna, and modernising their logo. According to Zegna, the change in branding aims to “celebrate our family heritage while looking forward with an ownable and tightly defined aesthetic and attitude.” Zegna’s minimalist rebrand pays tribute to the road crossing Oasi Zegna, a nature park built by Patriarch Ermengildo in 1938 in the mountains of the Trivero Region.
This turning point came just before a historic IPO which, according to WWD, stands at around a market capitalisation of about 2.5 billion dollars. “As Zegna enters an exciting new chapter in our history, we continue along the same road that stretches back more than a century,” said the brand in an announcement to the press.
Zegna Outlets Rebrands Toward Digital Transformation
This year, Zegna sees itself rebranding their outlets to clarify the brand’s purpose and highlight their mission statement while embracing the digital world. Their most recent rebrand takes place in their Singapore flagship store in Paragon. Designed with an impactful exterior, the floor to ceiling LED wall façade brings customer to Oasi Zegna, bringing the lightness and the freedom of the Oasi as an environment to the city.
Designed by Alessandro Sartori with Zegna’s in-house architects, the boutique reflects the brand-new contemporary style agenda. Perfectly mirroring Zegna’s dynamic path — which has led the brand to a redefined Luxury Leisurewear wardrobe — the new boutique spans 725 square meters, featuring a progressive spin on tradition and craftsmanship to meet the modern man’s style needs. Developed across a single floor, the space is characterised with iconic elements reminiscent of the flagship stores in Milan and Rome featuring two green lines; one of Serpentine and Alps that run through travertine, and run along a space of light and warm tones, creating a modern yet reassuring mood. Customers are able to get the opportunity to discover and explore Zegna’s modern icons such as the Triple Stitch™ Sneaker and the Overshirt designed to reflect the contemporary man’s style attitudes and behaviour. In the whole Made to Measure area of the store, customers can also envision a customised wardrobe across all categories, from Luxury Leisurewear to Modern Tailoring of sartorial excellence, all while immersed in key design elements featuring Campanino 900 chairs by Levaggi and a table with adjustable feet composition designed by Ignazio Gardella (1951) for Tato.
The brand’s decision to digitalise and upgrade their stores is not uncommon. In the changing retail climate, brands are looking to personalise and re-invent themselves as a more tech-focused, fully customised company to bring in customers. By including digital signage, they’re able to communicate better with their consumers and create a high-end retail experience for them. It’s able to showcase promotions and collections in an easier manner and serves as an elegant communication tool that encompasses their brand mission of staying up-to-date with the ever-changing industry.
Zegna sees to embrace this with the opening of two new flagship stores in Shanghai in 2021. In commemoration of their 30th anniversary in China, the new Taikoo Hui boutique — situated in the Jing’an District — features Zegna’s newly upgraded “My Zegna Made to Measure” service, an innovative and customisable experience that starts with a one to one meeting with a style advisor to capture the essence of your character with a custom wardrobe. The new store shows a strong commitment to art and design, combining modern elements with touches of luxury to create an elegant gallery showcasing their collections.
The interior design employs a neutral colour palette, with walls decorated with ash wood and 3D plaster moldings. The boutique is complements by a careful selection of design elements including unrivalled contemporary décor pieces and design masters, such as German-born architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Couch and American designer Warren Platner’s 1966 Lounge chair. It creates an intimate atmosphere that enhances the shopping experience when customers can socialise comfortable and privately.
Similarly, the Shanghai Taikoo Li Qiantan, a new Zegna landmark in the Pudong District, shares a similar design aesthetic. Newness and brightness fill the store interior with a series of contemporary masterpieces by Italy’s foremost furniture-makers and design masters like Italian architect and designer Tobia Scarpa and Gio Ponti.
Echoing Zegna’s efforts in sustainability, the Taikoo Li flagship store is infused with this spirit. Beyond their products, customers also have the opportunity to experience Oasi Zegna first-hand in a scaled-down version of the nature park thoughtfully replicated outside its original environment. The Oasi Zegna garden in Taikoo Li is a walking pathway, showcasing several different botanical species on the building’s terrace, mapping out the history of our nature reserve.
For more fashion reads, click here.
