#Retail & Brands

2022-11-17

Ermenegildo Zegna Group to enter a long-term license for Tom Ford Fashion with the Estée Lauder Companies

Ermenegildo Zegna N.V. (NYSE: ZGN) (“Zegna”, or “Zegna Group”) announced today that it has signed an agreement to enter a long-term license for TOM FORD fashion with The Estée Lauder Companies (“ELC”). This license is contingent upon the closing of the acquisition of TOM FORD by ELC, which is expected to occur during the first half of calendar 2023. ELC will be the sole owner of the TOM FORD brand and all its intellectual property.

As part of this transaction, Zegna Group will acquire operations of the TOM FORD fashion business necessary to perform its obligations as licensee

Zegna Group, the owner of the Zegna and Thom Browne brands, will become a long-term licensee of ELC for all TOM FORD men’s and women’s fashion as well as accessories and underwear, fine jewelry, childrenswear, textile and home design products. The Estée Lauder Companies and Zegna Group will align closely on the creative direction to continue building on the luxury positioning of the TOM FORD brand.

Zegna Group’s ambition is to position TOM FORD among the most respected and successful luxury fashion brands, leveraging the Zegna Group’s platform and capitalizing on the uniqueness of the TOM FORD brand.

Tom Ford, Founder and CEO of Tom Ford International, will continue to serve as the brand’s creative visionary after closing and through the end of calendar 2023.

“TOM FORD is one of the most iconic and distinctive ultra-luxury brands in the world and this next step together perfectly aligns with our strategy. We have been partners and shareholders of the TOM FORD fashion business since its inception and I have worked with Tom for many years and consider him an esteemed friend,” said Ermenegildo “Gildo” Zegna, CEO of Ermenegildo Zegna Group. “This transaction is our first since our listing on the New York Stock Exchange in December 2021, and confirms our commitment to leverage our platform to create value for all of our stakeholders.”

Transaction Details

Zegna’s 20-year licensing agreement with The Estée Lauder Companies allows for an automatic renewal for further 10 years subject to certain minimum performance conditions

As part of this transaction, Zegna will acquire operations of the TOM FORD fashion business necessary to perform its obligations as licensee

The transaction, which Zegna will finance with cash on hand, is expected to be EPS accretive for Zegna shareholders within the first full year post-closing (pre-synergies and related implementation costs)

The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by Zegna’s Board of Directors, is expected to close by the second quarter of 2023, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary conditions

In this transaction, Zegna received financial advice from UBS with a team led by Riccardo Mulone.

Circ launches first denim collection with H&M featuring TENCEL™ | Circ® with REFIBRA™ technology

Circ today announced that the first men's denim collection featuring TENCEL™ | Circ® with REFIBRA™ technology is now available at H&M, marking the commercial delivery of this unique pilot project first announced in October 2025. Featuring two styles available across the UK, Scandinavia, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, South Europe, Turkey, North America, Mexico, Canada, and the Middle East, the launch brings TENCEL™ | Circ® with REFIBRA™ technology into H&M's standard men's denim assortment for the first time.

Recover™ secures multi-year recycled cotton agreement with H&M

Recover™ has signed a multi-year agreement with H&M to support the integration of its recycled cotton fiber, RCotton, for use in H&M’s products. Since early 2024, H&M and Recover™ have collaborated on product development, which now enables scaled commercial introduction of Recover™ mechanically recycled cotton into H&M’s collections.

GORE-TEX® KIDSWEAR launches innovative membership scheme for kids’ jackets

With its revolutionary new membership model, GORE-TEX® Kidswear now offers families a simple, flexible and sustainable way of kitting out their children in top-quality jackets. It is aimed at the parents of children aged between five and ten and kicks off with a choice of functional winter jackets.

Trützschler brings intelligent fiber processing and automation to India ITME 2026

From December 4 to 9, 2026, the Trützschler Group will present its latest innovations in spinning, card clothing and nonwovens at India ITME in Greater Noida, India. At Hall 11, Booth B15, visitors can discover solutions designed to increase productivity, reduce operating costs and ensure consistently high product quality. Key highlights include the intelligent card TC 26i, the 12-head comber TCO 21XL, innovative card clothing solutions for improved fiber utilization and quality, as well as advanced nonwovens technologies for hygiene, wipes and technical applications.

Circulose resumes recycling of discarded cotton textiles and appoints interim CEO

Circulose today announced its restart of commercial-scale production plant at Ortviken in Sundsvall, Sweden, marking a significant step in scaling next-generation materials for the global fashion industry. The Ortviken plant is the world’s first commercial-scale chemical textile recycling facility. Its restart demonstrates that the fashion industry is seeking ways to scale proven solutions that move beyond pilots and into commercial production.

Itema brings textile versatility to ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026

Itema announces its participation in ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026, taking place November 20–24 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. In Hall 3 – Stand D06, the company will showcase two Galileo-RX rapier weaving machines weaving heavy denim and conveyor belt fabrics, demonstrating its ability to address different textile requirements with application-specific configurations. Five additional Itema machines at partner booths will extend the exhibition lineup to upper shoe fabric, label, Jacquard leno fabrics, and shirting, offering visitors a broader view of Itema rapier and air-jet weaving technologies.