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Textiles
Our World in Textiles
Since 1910, working with the finest fibres in the world. This is their origin.
The very best garments can only come from the best natural resources. And the best natural resources need to be cared for. The same way we care for people, so we do for animals and their home. A positive and fair relationship with global communities and the environment has been essential for Zegna’s success in producing the finest fibres in the world.
The Zegna Textile Division
Zegna is one of the most specialised luxury companies in Italy. Looking forward to the future while respecting the past, the Group has continued to accelerate its strong and profitable growth trajectory by acquiring specialised manufacturers to produce fabrics and materials of unparalleled quality. These luxury textiles are used by Zegna and other global luxury brands. The acquisition of these historic Italian manufacturing companies allows the Group to form a total Textile Division that celebrates the enduring craftsmanship of Made in Italy. Consequently, new fabric standards have been set and new construction methods have emerged in the luxury men’s tailoring and casual industries.
Lanificio Zegna
Founded in 1910, the Zegna Wool Mill has been the backbone of the company’s success and is renowned internationally for the world’s finest textiles. Four generations of the Zegna family have led textile success by carefully balancing science with nature and craftsmanship with technology. As a result, the Lanificio has pioneered sophisticated men’s fabrics that are lighter, smoother, more refined, and with improved performance and functionality.
The complete production process is carried out by Ermenegildo Zegna – from raw material selection to finishing. This facilitates our journey towards zero waste and helps us identify innovative new sustainable processes. It allows us to be fully responsible and accountable for what we sell to our customers, from start to finish. Located in the Italian Alps, the local mountain rivers carry purified water that wash the Zegna Wool Mill’s fabrics and give them a particularly soft finish. Commitment to quality and the use of modern technology to back up artisan craftsmanship is our living tradition, linking past, present, and future.The Lanificio is not only a center of excellence in terms of product quality, but it is also an example of commitment to environmental sustainability. The total yearly renewable energy used by the wool mill amounts to approximately half of the energy consumed and it totally comes from two hydroelectric plants and solar panels owned by the Lanificio. But, besides these important aspects, further efforts have been made concerning the reduction of the environmental impact of the Lanificio.During 2012, the substitution of the roof covering of the factory from tiles to aluminum panels has brought to 5% of thermal energy savings per year. Furthermore, during the same year, the installation of an innovated system has allowed further energy savings thanks to the recovering of the heat generated by the cooling water from dyeing processes by transferring it to the industrial hot water circuit, bringing to additional savings of thermal energy. In this sense, further improvements have been made also during 2019, through the replacement of the lighting system of the departments, which resulted in a 60% savings of the annual electricity demand. These improvements are possible thanks to a continuous monitoring of the plant's energy consumption: at this regard, the introduction of a new system that allows the monitoring of energy consumption at the individual production process level has also been implemented.In the context of water management and utilization, in 2019, consistent investments have been done for the replacement of the machinery used for the treatment of fabrics: the new purchased fixture have led to a saving of 10% of the total water requirement. At this regard, a new ozone water purification system has recently been introduced, which allows the recovery of about 20-25% of the water supply, that is reused within the production plant, thus allowing a considerable saving of water. The new water treatment system started operating in early 2019.
Tessitura di Novara
Tessitura di Novara
Tessitura di Novara, a company specialized in high quality silk weaving, was acquired by the Ermenegildo Zegna Group in 2009. The historic Italian manufacturer was founded in 1932 and has since become a leading producer of pure silk and other high-end natural fabrics. Thanks to the unparalleled quality and uniqueness of its textiles, Tessitura di Novara’s customer portfolio includes many of the most important international fashion brands. With its combination of artisan skills and innovative technologies, Tessitura di Novara has seamlessly integrated into the Textile Division of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group.
Bonotto
Bonotto
In 2016, the Group acquired a majority stake in Bonotto, a fourth-generation textile manufacturer based in Molvena, Italy. Founded by Luigi Bonotto in 1912, the brand celebrates the Slow Factory movement against mass production at low cost, focusing instead on handcraftsmanship and traditional techniques. Bonotto is characterised by the creative and experimental dimensions of their fabrics. Inside the factory there are 18,000 works of art from the Bonotto Foundation, which inspire the production processes and make Bonotto an authentic "creative source" of fashion textiles. The brand consists of a style centre devoted to research and development, a weaving and warping plant, as well as a dyeing and finishing plant.
Cappellificio Cervo
Cappellificio Cervo
In 2018, the Group acquired ownership of the historic Cappellificio Cervo, a hatter in Biella, Italy, with over 150 years of history. It is one of the few companies where it is still possible to observe all the steps of making a hat. Each phase, from blowing to finishing, is carried out within Cappellificio Cervo's laboratory, including the careful decoration work. By continuing to use original machinery from the 1800s, tradition and innovation combine to create elegant felt hats for prestigious worldwide luxury brands.
Dondi
Dondi
In 2019, the Ermenegildo Zegna Group acquired the majority shareholding of Dondi. Celebrating its 50th year in business, Dondi is a leader in manufacturing high-quality jersey fabrics for men and women, all Made in Italy. Through this acquisition, the Ermenegildo Zegna Group not only strengthens its standing in women’s fabrics, but also achieves a sizeable expansion in the specialisation of its own textile supply chain.
The Group’s consumption*
The Lanificio is not the only part of the business interested in this shift towards a more sustainable consumption and production. In fact, the Group as a whole is committed in adopting renewable energies and responding to its own needs through self-generated resources. Overall, in 2019, the Group’s electricity usage amounted to 181,439 GJ. The electricity is partly obtained from a co-generation plant and from renewable sources, in particular certified energy purchased through a guarantee of origin. It is noteworthy that the Group produces and sales renewable energy, in accordance with the net metering procedure, through the already mentioned hydroelectric power plants and the photovoltaic system, which in 2019 produced roughly 16,400 GJ and 600 GJ respectively. The net metering procedure is a particular form of on-site self-consumption that allows to compensate for the electricity produced and fed into the national grid at a certain time, with that taken and consumed at a different time compared to when production takes place. So, the aforementioned electricity yearly produced offsets approximately the 10% of the Group’s total electricity consumption which, in the last year, has recorded an overall reduction in usage of almost 2% of the total consumption compared to 2018. Considering these factors, the overall percentage of electricity obtained from renewables and from the co-generation plant, which implies a great efficiency, brings to a coverage of about 40% of the total electricity used. Finally, in 2019, the Ermenegildo Zegna Group consumed 173,400 GJ of natural gas almost 4% less compared to 2018.*The data regarding the Group’s energy consumption included in the table below do not include Thom Browne companies and the following companies: Sorgenti EZ S.r.l., Ezesa Argentina S.A., E.Z. Thai Holding Ltd., 61 West 23rd Street LLC, Achill Land Pty Ltd. and EZ US Holding Inc. Furthermore, only for 2019 reporting year it includes Dondi and Cappellificio Cervo. Finally, natural gas data do not include the consumption of the stores of the Group.Group’s consumption in 2019 and 2018**
Moreover, the Group’s efforts towards reducing its environmental impact is represented also by choices related to the company’s fleet . In 2018, an important action was the installation of two charging stations for electric vehicles, meaning the Group also wants to encourage its employees’ choices towards an increased responsibility in environmental matters. Going through the same way, at the beginning of 2020 the Lanificio included its first electric car in the fleet.***The rise in consumption related to cars, shown in the table below, is mainly due to the growth of the company’s fleet with 8 additional cars, while the consumption itself has been calculated considering the average consumption of, respectively, diesel and gasoline cars and the kilometers travelled on a yearly basis.**The conversion from kWh to GJ and from m3 to GJ is based on DEFRA (2019) conversion factors. Specifically, with reference to electricity consumption, 1 kWh is equal to 0.0036 GJ, while with reference to natural gas, 1m3 is equal to 0.03901 GJ.Furthermore, natural gas consumption for shops’ heating was not available since included in the rent and not separated from it.***Data related to firm fleet do not include vans.Fuel consumption from the Group’s fleet in 2019 and 2018****
In a forward-looking approach, a significant milestone concerning the preservation of the whole natural environment has been fixed by the Group, which has put itself in the frontline of the whole fashion industry, along with many other important brands: in August 2019 Ermenegildo Zegna Group signed the Fashion Pact. The Pact reached in October 2019 a total of 56 signatories, representing 250 brands, and it is a real commitment in adopting more specific targets and objectives towards assuring the protection of oceans and the Earth’s biodiversity, while contrasting climate change. These main topics are, in fact, related to the priorities set by the UN SDGs, Planetary Boundaries and all the UN Conventions. Specifically, the three lines of actions are articulated in:- Mitigating and adapting to climate change- Bending the curve on biodiversity loss within 10 years- Addressing the critical loss of ocean functionality due to climate change and pollution. The Pact’s signature represents a concrete measure in tackling environmental issues and contributing to create harmony between people and the planet, therefore, it is a guarantee of the dedication Ermenegildo Zegna Group puts towards its environmental responsibility. ****The conversion from liters to GJ is based on DEFRA (2019) conversion factors. Specifically, with reference to gasoline, 1 liter is equal to 0,0323 GJ, while with reference to diesel, 1 liter is equal to 0,0359 GJ.
