MILAN — Agnona, the women’s luxury brand under the Ermenegildo Zegna Group umbrella, is stepping up the expansion of its retail operations.
“The expansion plans for the next five years comprise important investments in our retail activities, which will become our main distribution channel. Today retail represents a third of our turnover but we are aiming at making it at least half of our sales,” said Agnona chief executive officer Bruno Laguardia. “The objective is to develop a solid local strategy through the opening of several boutiques worldwide, with priority given to the Asian markets.”
China represents the most appealing market for the brand and half the company’s planned openings are concentrated there. As part of this retail strategy, Agnona introduced its revamped concept store in the two boutiques opened in Hangzhou and Shenyang earlier this year.
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Despite all the uncertainties in the euro zone, Agnona will also continue to invest in the most important European markets, including Germany — where the firm opened a door on Sylt island — the U.K., France and Italy, planning to open stores in London, Paris and Rome. In addition, Laguardia pointed out Russia and the former Soviet countries as interesting growth markets.
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“We are aware that the current situation is difficult and that the future will not be any easier. We are not concerned, however, because we are well equipped to handle these difficult times as the company is healthy,” Laguardia said, highlighting that despite Europe’s financial downturn, Agnona registered double-digit growth in 2011. “We expect this growth to continue, with the objective of doubling the turnover over the next two years.”
In order to boost the expansion, Agnona is working on developing its creative direction, which is conceived by a design team, preserving the brand’s DNA of high-end quality and sophisticated style.
“The preciousness and the quality of the raw materials, combined with the care for detail of the collection, remain Agnona’s main features. A sober style that is not yelled out, undoubtedly elegant and timeless are the distinctive traits of Agnona,” said Laguardia, adding that the company will invest in several marketing activities to strengthen the brand’s awareness. “Our vision is to identify and capture the maximum growth margin within the niche segment of the luxury market.”
For its collections, Agnona uses both high-end cashmere spun by Lanerie Agnona and wool from Lanificio Ermenegildo Zegna, along with Italian precious silks, including the fabrics produced by Tessiture di Novara, the company recently acquired by the Ermenegildo Zegna Group.
In line with the strategy, Agnona presented its resort collection to the press this season for the first time.
“The pre-collection is an important release for several of our major markets, so much so that at times its relevance exceeds even that of the main collection,” remarked Laguardia, saying that pre-collections account for almost 50 percent of the company’s total sales, “even if the relative importance of the pre-collection changes significantly depending on the market.” According to the ceo, the impact is stronger in the U.S. and Asia, compared to Europe.
For the resort season, Agnona worked the brand’s signature cashmere for fluid tops and twin sets, embellished with plaits or leather details, showing colorblocking and striped patterns in a wide range of tones, spanning from bold to pastels hues. Knitwear is also combined with silk jackets coated with a waterproof resin membrane, fluid silk pants and embroidered dresses.