Born in Oasi Zegna: Take a colourful, quirky trip

MAYBE it’s because it was a long time coming, but Zegna’s new book about its founder and his legacy is a seriously outsized one. Born in Oasi Zegna tips the scale at over 2 kg. Add the accompanying cardboard slipcase, and we’re looking at nearly 3 kg.

Still, this is an informative, fun read meant for both adults and children to enjoy.

Page after large page, beautifully captured images, quirky illustrations, historic documents and text introduce you to the ethos of Ermenegildo Zegna – the man who started producing superior wool fabric in 1910, which led to today’s Zegna brand of luxury Italian menswear.

The son of a watchmaker, Zegna was clearly a forward-thinking man who envisioned uplifting his community and greening the over-exploited mountainous terrain around his wool mill in Trivero, in the Biella Alps of Piedmont in northern Italy.

The book, divided into four chapters (inspired by the four seasons of a year) traces the beginnings of Zegna’s pursuit to produce the best woollen fabric and then sending them overseas, along with his efforts at providing social welfare to his staff and their families and the family’s continued commitment to sustainable practices.

Always impeccably dressed in suits everywhere he went, Zegna is photographed in his signature get-up complete with a barbisio hat and walking stick, even when walking in the mountains.

Among other places, he is pictured checking out the 232 Road whose construction he started in the 1930s in order to connect two sides of the mountain near his home and factory, and “also for the purpose of making the panoramic and not indifferent excursions of the region, so that a real tourist area of the province can be created”.

In the book, historic images, maps and interesting anecdotes about the founder are interspersed with bite-sized explanations of what it takes to produce its fabrics and garments, as well as a road map for the brand’s continued green vision. For instance, Zegna is committed to certifying its Oasi Cashmere and Oasi Lino fibres as 100 per cent traceable from this year.

Illustrated by acclaimed artists Paolo Bacilieri, Cecilia Carlstedt, and Giuseppe Ragazzini, the book contains interactive elements such as pull-outs, postcards, unfolding pages, cut-outs and a variety of textures to keep things interesting and readers engaged.

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Book lovers who eschew e-readers will enjoy the tactile feel of every page, the quirky illustrations, the fun, unexpected elements – and yes, the smell of paper. They just need to be sure they’re ready to carry it home, all (nearly) 3 kg of it.

Born in Oasi Zegna will soon be available for purchase at Zegna Paragon and Zegna Marina Bay Sands