Italy's Agnona brand: lamb among the fashion wolves

At Milan Fashion Week_ headlines go to splashy names_ over-the-top fashions and celebrities posing by catwalks.

But behind the scenes_ Italy's smaller and medium-sized brands_ the often family-owned lifeblood of the industry_ are doggedly defending their craft_ striving to keep alive long traditions of excellence.

One of them_ Agnona_ began in 1953 as a wool mill in Italy's northern Piedmont region_ producing luxurious textiles in natural fabrics like cashmere_ lambswool and angora that supplied top haute couture houses in Paris_ from Christian Dior to Givenchy to Yves Saint Laurent.

Acquired in 1999 by the Ermengildo Zegna Group_ Agnona switched from textiles to apparel and was sold in 2020 to Zegna family members Stefano Aimone_ the chief executive and creative director_ and his father Roberto.

Agnona_ which is opening its first flagship store in Milan next month_ envisions a global network of owned and franchised stores in future.

Stefano Aimone sat down with AFP to explain the challenges facing smaller names amid competition from the big fashion conglomerates_ changes in consumer habits and the race towards retail.

'Overwhelmed by demand'

"If you want to aim for quality and certain types of craftsmanship you have to stay here in our Italian boot. But many companies have closed. Many closed because of Covid_ post-Covid they were absorbed into larger groups because costs went up_ prices fluctuated_ they had periods of no sales -- no work at all -- followed by excess work. Financially they didn't have the reserves.

"The businesses that remain are now extremely overwhelmed by demand from the big French groups and the Italian brands.

"The problem isn't just cut-and-sew_ it's also the production of materials_ because everything cascades down... the dye houses that are still around are clogged up_ which creates delays_ and delays weaken the quality of the entire industrial process."

'Made in Italy'

"I'd say 'Made in Italy' is becoming relatively less important to them (customers); the customer now identifies more with the brand itself_ with its values_ with what the brand represents...

"Made in Turkey_ Made in Italy_ Made in France -- it can be important_ but it's definitely not as important as it once was_ because brands have been very active in communicating many other values they embody_ which provide justification beyond geography.

"And in a way that's right_ because a brand isn't just its product -- it's also what it stands for and what it does beyond the product itself."

'Sowing seeds'

"We're just under 15 million euros in revenue but we expect to reach 20 million and beyond within three years.

"We still have many markets that we haven't even started talking to_ for example_ all of China_ the entire Middle East_ all of Latin America_ the whole APAC region including Australia.

"Since we took over the brand_ there have been years of rebuilding: not only rebuilding our premises -- the industrial site and the headquarters -- but working on the collection.

"We introduced menswear_ so we focused heavily on internal work_ and we didn't necessarily want to push revenue right away. Because if you go out to market without a solid product_ you risk ruining everything you're trying to achieve -- it can be counterproductive.

"So those were years of sowing seeds_ and now that we're ready_ we're beginning to address the global market."