The Dubai Opera was transformed on Wednesday into a striking fusion of plants representing the Oasi Zegna — the forest territory planted by Ermenegildo Zegna, founder of Italian heritage brand Zegna, in Italy — and the desert sand of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Here, Zegna hosted its first-ever show outside of Italy, unveiling 58 looks to an audience of 600.
Among the guests at the show were Iraqi singer Kadim Al Sahir and Tunisian actor, director and screenwriter Dhafer L’Abidine, as well as American filmmaker and music video director Roman Coppola and Zegna global ambassador and actor Mads Mikkelsen, with live music by James Blake.
Silhouettes were loose and deconstructed, and the colour palette muted, featuring shades of ivory, earthy green and wine. A strong sense of texture ran throughout the collection, with fabrics offering a tactile feel — ranging from ultra-light poplin to suede, knitted leather and towelling. “This collection is about fluidity — the idea of having this beautiful wardrobe and blending everything together in your own personal way,” artistic director Alessandro Sartori says at a press conference just before the show.
Following the runway show, guests were invited to Villa Zegna, a private, members-only pop-up inspired by the original home of Ermenegildo Zegna in the Oasi Zegna nature reserve among the Italian Alps. Open through 16 June, this Dubai edition marks the most ambitious iteration of Villa Zegna to date (last year saw Villa Zegna travel to Shanghai and New York), with over 220 private appointments — more than half of whom are from the region — offering a deep dive into the brand’s world.
This week-long activation also represents the largest single investment ever made by the Ermenegildo Zegna Group. The group, which owns Thom Browne and holds the license for Tom Ford Fashion, sees this as a pivotal moment in its global expansion strategy. As chair and CEO Gildo Zegna — the grandson of the house’s founder — tells Vogue Business just hours before the show, “We’ve bet big on Dubai because we believe in Dubai.”
Vogue: Why did you choose Dubai for Zegna’s first-ever runway presentation outside of Italy?
Dubai is one of the most energetic and fast-growing luxury hubs in the world. The second reason is the deep respect we have for the UAE’s visionary, entrepreneurial and pioneering spirit. The country is only 52 years old. What it has accomplished in such a short time is extraordinary. Take the Dubai Mall: it opened in 2008 and is now one of the world’s most iconic luxury retail destinations. The way this country is run — with a business-minded, entrepreneurial approach — aligns closely with our values. We believe if you’re strong in Dubai, you’ll be strong across the Gulf. That’s the bet we’re making.
Vogue: Why is this runway show such a significant moment?
We’re bringing a piece of Milan Fashion Week to Dubai. Carlo Capasa, president of fashion week organiser Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, gave us special permission to do this as a one-off. While Men’s Fashion Week in Milan is next week, we’re premiering it here first. It’s something we’re very proud of.
Vogue: How important is the Gulf region to Zegna’s global business?
The Middle East — primarily the Gulf — makes up nearly 10 per cent of our business. Since Covid, it’s been our fastest-growing region. What’s especially interesting is the shift from a tourist-based clientele to a more local customer. We’re focused now on the resident customer. We no longer view this region as a stopover for international shoppers, but as a core market. Our marketing, retail strategy and service model reflect that. For us, this is about long-term brand-building — not just quick wins.
Vogue: What sets this edition of Villa Zegna apart?
This is our biggest Villa Zegna yet — bigger than Shanghai or New York. It’s also our only major brand event this year; we combined the budgets of two events into this one. For the first time, we included a full fashion show, hosted nearly 600 guests, expanded our media outreach and showed more collections than ever. We have presented three major lines: a Dubai-exclusive capsule, our fashion show collection and our made-to-measure collection — alongside the in-store collection. Unlike traditional runway timelines, many of these pieces are available to buy immediately. That took a significant investment and some risk — but it’s part of the big bet we’ve made on the region.
We went all in: on marketing, the fashion show and the product assortment. We know this market appreciates craftsmanship and precious pieces, so we leaned into that. Honestly, it felt more like a hard luxury event than a fashion show. And of course, sometimes risks don’t pay off. But if you succeed seven times out of 10, that’s good enough. That’s what entrepreneurship is about — and the leaders in this region understand that. You have to take risks and make decisions quickly.
Vogue: We saw many prominent faces from the region at the show. Would you ever consider appointing a regional brand ambassador?
We don’t have official ambassadors in this region, but the best ambassadors are the people we invited. Their experience — and their word-of-mouth — will carry the message forward.
Vogue: What are your expansion plans for the region?
We currently operate 15 doors in the Middle East — about a third are franchised while two-thirds are directly owned. We’re in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Riyadh, Doha, and, of course, Dubai. In Abu Dhabi, we’re adding a location at The Grove. In Doha, we’re converting our franchise into a directly operated store. In Riyadh, we already have two stores, and we plan to open three more in the next couple of years.
Vogue: What do you hope the impact of this event will be?
While we will assess return on investment carefully on this activation, I can already say this: it’s not just about how much we sell. The real value lies in brand amplification. People who were here will remember it; people who weren’t will hear about it. The impact of this event will unfold over the next year or two. Before Covid, we used to ask, ‘Why aren’t we more present in the Gulf?’ Today, we are. I’ve said it before — Dubai is the new Hong Kong. I’m old enough to remember when we said this about Hong Kong 10 years ago. Now, it’s here. We saw the potential early on. Dubai is backed with resources and executed with clarity. It’s central, geopolitically strategic and business minded. I just met with the Department of Economy and Tourism — their vision is impressive.
Vogue: You’re hosting a conversation with Elie Saab during this week-long activation — why him?
We’re doing a lunch and panel discussion with Elie Saab because the family are long-time Zegna clients. We’ve built a relationship over the years. In fact, we first met — by coincidence — on an Air France flight from Paris to Milan about 10 years ago. Since then, we’ve followed each other’s journeys. This conversation is about mutual respect. It’s about celebrating what it takes to build a strong, family-led business. The Saabs are a powerful presence in the region, and we’re proud to stand beside them.
Vogue: Zegna Group reported a profit decline for last year. What does 2025 look like?
To clarify — that drop was largely due to tax impacts on net profit. Zegna as a brand has performed well, and we’re satisfied overall. Looking ahead to 2025, while we’re not disclosing exact figures, we’ve told investors to expect low-single-digit growth in both top-line revenue and adjusted EBIT. This includes all brands.
Vogue: How are the other brands — Tom Ford Fashion and Thom Browne — performing, especially in the Gulf region?
Tom Ford is doing well. It went through a phase of a reduced presence in the market, but it’s back — and we’re optimistic. With Haider Ackermann as creative director and a strong retail strategy, we’re working to realise its full potential. Thom Browne is newer here and growing slower. The brand has stronger visibility in Asia, where it resonates. But we’re investing — we’re relocating the store to a better space in the Dubai Mall. Zegna is the benchmark we’ll use across the board: excellence in execution, attention to the customer and delivering the right product at the right time.
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