Love, they say, is a fabric that never fades, no matter how often it is washed in the water of adversity and grief. One could say the same for Zegna’s fabrics. Founded in 1910 in Trivero, Italy, by the young entrepreneur Ermenegildo Zegna, the brand till date continues to be governed by the following: to use resources for the good of others; to give back to people and the employees; to take care of the territory and community from which the brand comes. Throughout the years, the company has evolved from high-quality textile production to artisan commercialisation of sartorial expertise and further to the affirmation of a worldwide luxury lifestyle brand with a retail network covering over 100 countries.
The supreme thread
While Zegna is known for its premium fabrics, and almost all its lines are much coveted around the world, in its century-long search for impossibly fine fabrics, it has found its supreme thread in the 12 Mil Mil 12 fibre. Each year, Zegna transforms ultrafine fleece into incomparable yarn to create the luxurious fibre, which is at once resilient and breathable. From outerwear to luxurious tailoring, the fibre is available in limited editions. Finer than cashmere, 12 Mil Mil 12 collection is 100% wool.
Zegna is on an eternal search for finer and lighter fabrics, incentivising Australian woolgrowers to breed increasingly elite flocks of merino sheep, taking advantage of the rich environment and damp climate. The best Merino wool is produced in pristine nature, even though less than 1% of the Ermenegildo Zegna’s sheep are able to produce the insuperable 12 Mil Mil 12 wool.
Limitless luxury
The rareness of the fibre is due to its limited quantity — only 3,000 metres produced worldwide every year, of which Zegna has the distinction of owning a significant part.
This has been made possible owing to Zegna’s exclusive relationship with selected farms. The luxurious fabric is crafted from wool fibre, whose fineness, at only 12 micron, exceeds that of vicuña and cashmere. The yarn is so fine that, when unwound, a single kilogram cone is 130 kms long.
Style talk
From outerwear to luxurious tailoring, 12 Mil Mil 12 is available in a limited number of dedicated styles that form the exclusive Zegna Collection. Soft, fine and bright, the fabric offers an outstanding performance and superior comfort. Impeccably tailored, its suits are sumptuous to the touch and sharp to the eye. And merino’s long fibres make for great strength and elasticity. Even after prolonged crumpling, the garment springs back into shape.
Suits, outerwear, and knitwear all come with a special packaging — a dedicated label and storytelling hangtag, characterising details such as the inner branded selvage
