Ermenegildo Zegna NV, Italy’s only fashion house with a New York listing, is looking to the Tom Ford brand to help supercharge expansion in the luxury business.
Tom Ford International, the fashion division that Zegna Group bought after selling other parts of the company to Estée Lauder Co., “could become one of the ten most important global fashion brands,” Zegna Group Chief Executive Officer Ermenegildo Zegna said in an interview at the company’s headquarters in Milan.
While that may seem like a lofty aim, Tom Ford ranks among the top 25 in the FashionUnited Index of Most Recognised Fashion Brands, and the Zegna CEO believes that kind of exposure can help his company, a leader in menswear, expand into the lucrative accessories market.
It may also have an impact in womenswear, where new creative director Peter Hawkings’ Milan show earlier this year drew attention with stiletto-heeled models in tight see-through black dresses and bright pink velvet jackets.
Zegna now plans to quadruple its Tom Ford store count to 100 in the “mid-term,” including openings in Rome and Beijing next year, with a goal of increasing Tom Ford International’s revenue by more than 10 per cent every year.
Zegna, 68, has been the driving force behind his company’s shift away from traditional mens’ fitted suits and into “leisure luxury” ranges. The strategy is paying…
