Italian fashion houses get refashioned for future growth

The merger-and-acquisition trend in fashion offers sources of cash and footholds in new markets to brands that want to gain the scale for an international expansion, especially if their target is the tricky Asian market.

fashion and trends Updated: Jan 12, 2019 13:44 IST

FILE- In this Friday, June 15, 2018 file photo, a model wears a creation part of the Ermenegildo Zegna men's Spring-Summer 2019 collection, that was presented in Milan, Italy. Italian fashion houses are refashioning themselves for future growth to stay on trend. The Milan Fashion Week devoted to menswear for next fall and winter opens on Friday, Jan. 11, 2019 with Ermenegildo Zegna, which made its first move to expand abroad with the Zegna Group’s summer acquisition of American brand Thom Browne. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)(AP)

To stay on trend, Italian fashion houses are refashioning themselves for future growth.

The Milan Fashion Week devoted to fall and winter menswear opens on Friday with Ermenegildo Zegna’s preview. The company made its first move to expand abroad with the Zegna Group’s summer acquisition of American brand Thom Browne. The Gianni Versace fashion house’s entrance into the group owned by American designer Michael Kors was finalized last week.

The merger-and-acquisition trend in fashion offers sources of cash and footholds in new markets to brands that want to gain the scale for an international expansion, especially if their target is the tricky Asian market.

For Italy’s family-run fashion brands, generational change makes a future path especially important.

Visit our Photo Gallery for pictures from the Men’s Fall/Winter 2019/20 fashion shows in Milan

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First Published: Jan 12, 2019 13:43 IST