Zalando and Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana recognize changemakers in luxury fashion

• Zalando and Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana recognized leading thinkers of the Italian luxury fashion at an evening of inspiration and exchange in Milan
• The event gave the stage to some of the top visionaries of the Italian fashion world, including Bottega Veneta, Moncler, and ZEGNA, who explored key aspects shaping the future of luxury fashion
• With luxury consumption to be driven by younger generations in the next years, key discussions centered around how to inspire and engage them, and the role that innovation, experiences and new technologies play in it

MILAN, MARCH 29, 2023 // On March 28, Zalando, in partnership with Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) and in collaboration with Highsnobiety, brought together and recognized some of the leading thinkers of the luxury fashion scene, representing innovation and positive transformation.

Titled “Changemakers in Luxury Fashion”, the event took place at Milan’s prestigious Palazzo Citterio and was hosted by CNMI’s Chairman Carlo Capasa, Zalando’s Co-CEO David Schneider and Founder and CEO of Highsnobiety David Fischer. Digital Creative and Founder Tamu McPherson moderated and interviewed exciting protagonists who shared their stories:

Moncler, with the forward-thinking vision of its CEO and Chairman Remo Ruffini, was chosen as an example of championing disruptive communication, as demonstrated by the brand’s highly engaging and innovative strategy, from the Genius project to the epic event held in Milan’s iconic Piazza del Duomo to celebrate its 70th anniversary.

Celebrating authenticity and high-end ‘Made in Italy’ craftsmanship, the leading role of Bottega Veneta and its CEO Leo Rongone in the industry was highlighted by showcasing the company’s recent launch of the “Certificate of Craft”, a program guaranteeing lifelong repairs to the brand’s most iconic bags.   

Considered a changemaker thanks to the great level of innovation he introduced with his signature take on tailoring, ZEGNA Artistic Director Alessandro Sartori  took the stage to talk about this work, focused on innovation in men's tailored silhouettes, and his genuine commitment to experimenting with high-quality materials.

Vogue Italia’s Francesca Ragazzi has been identified as a changemaker for her leading role in promoting change, as well for her contributions to advancing diversity and inclusion within the fashion publishing industry. Under her guidance, Vogue Italia was the first magazine to dedicate the cover to a paralympic athlete, Veronica Yoko Plebani, with whom she had an inspiring conversation on stage.

“We are very proud to host this event dedicated to transformation in collaboration with Zalando, a global player that greatly contributed to the digital evolution of fashion e-commerce,” commented CNMI’s Chairman Carlo Capasa. “Tonight, we celebrate two of the key values that are certainly guiding the work of CNMI: positive change and disruption. We are treading uncertain times, but the Italian industry is certainly playing a leading role in shaping a better future for global fashion.”

“The one change that we at Zalando witness every day is the evolution of our customers and how they transform the future of e-commerce. More than ever, new generations of customers look for inspiration, engagement and emotions when shopping for fashion online,” highlighted David Schneider, Co-CEO of Zalando. “Luxury players will especially benefit from this shift as they have built invaluable expertise in crafting aspirational product and brand experiences in the offline world. I’m excited to explore the new opportunities that the future holds for all of us together online and build the next generation of fashion e-commerce.”

From Millennials to GenZ and Gen Alpha, younger generations are increasingly becoming the driving force of luxury consumption: according to Bain & Company, spending by Gen Z and Millennials already accounted for all of the luxury sector's growth last year, while spending by Gen Z and the even younger Gen Alpha is projected to make up a third of the market by 2030.

Zalando, with its online fashion expertise and insights from over 51 million active customers in 25 European markets, and CNMI as a key institution connecting the Italian and international luxury industry, partnered up to foster a timely conversation: how to inspire and capture the attention of this new generation of luxury consumers and what role do innovation, experiences and new technologies play in it.

Keynote speeches explored the key themes shaping the future of luxury: New Generation of Consumers, Disruptive Communication, Craftsmanship, Innovation, Diversity and Inclusion.  

Please find a selection of highlight quotes by the speakers below:

Lena-Sophie Roeper, Director Designer at Zalando: “Today’s event in Milan reflects Zalando’s ambition to be the destination of choice for aspirational contemporary luxury customers. We are focused on what we believe matters most to them: experience, inspiration and convenience. To achieve this, we are building an elevated and differentiated Designer customer experience as well as a protected environment for luxury partners, developing a series of innovative storytelling features together with Highsnobiety and preparing to launch tools that will bolster our size and fit advice. We are on the threshold of a new reality in luxury e-commerce and I can’t wait for Zalando and our brand partners to shape it together”.

Riccardo Vola, General Manager Italy & Spain at Zalando: “Italy is a key market in Europe where Zalando keeps on strengthening its fashion ecosystem and inspiration. Our commitment to exciting our Italian customers continues with a growing range of global and local brands, membership services with exclusive fashion drops, faster and more flexible deliveries. We are advancing new key partnerships with the ultimate aim to elevate the shopping experience of Italian customers”.

New generation of consumers

David Fischer, Founder & CEO of Highsnobiety: “Cultural credibility is an art every luxury brand needs to master today in order to future proof their business. I am thrilled to explore together with key players in the Italian luxury market what it means to be culturally credible, how to drive engagement and inspiration in the new luxury space and what the consumer expects of them tomorrow.”

Disruptive communication

Remo Ruffini, CEO & Chairman of Moncler: “We live in a world where we “compete” everyday for attention while the ways we interact with each other are constantly evolving at the intersection of digital and real life. For a brand, maintaining a constant connection with its communities and having a voice is a work of endless reinvention and exploration of meaningful and relevant ways to engage. This often means taking creative risks to stay at the forefront of change because when the world changes, so does communication.”

Craftsmanship

Leo Rongone, CEO of Bottega Veneta: “Bottega Veneta is designed to last forever. The Certificate of Craft is a lifetime warranty on our iconic handbags, offering clients a superior service of long-term preservation with an unlimited refresh, replace and repair offering. Our philosophy is that exceptional after-care prolongs the life of our bags and reduces the need for replacement. It is a celebration of true luxury, where exceptional creativity and enduring craftsmanship are honored as our legacy, transforming beautiful objects into timeless treasures that transcend generations.”

Innovation

Alessandro Sartori, Artist Director at ZEGNA: “At ZEGNA I have the unprecedented opportunity to create fabrics from weaving through to finishing, challenging our manufacturers, pushing them to explore uncharted waters. Thanks to the Ermenegildo Zegna Made in Italy Luxury Platform, our vertically integrated structure ensures that an exceptional level of care is put at the heart of all we do. Oasi Cashmere for ZEGNA is intentive to be a trademark of traceability and accountability, moving in the direction of this cashmere being responsibly sourced, from remote farms in the world to innovative manufacturing in Italy. That is what makes us unique and authentic. By evolving the progressive “crafted modernity” aesthetic and silhouette with a paradigm shift in the way we think of clean style and quiet luxury, we need to adjust to a new reality that acknowledges the importance of the silhouette and the one-to-one customer relationship where digital experience becomes an integral part of a luxury customer journey. With ZEGNA X, the newly digital ecosystem and customization tool, we are rewriting the future of luxury service.”

Diversity and inclusion

Francesca Ragazzi, Head of Content at Vogue Italia: “Vogue Italia celebrates stories that make us proud. All different from each other but able to coexist in a narrative which, like reality, is not a monochromatic picture but a multiform set of different colours. Veronica’s story is about beauty, confidence and fashion. Beauty is also complexity and richness of contrasts. This is how we would like to see society: multifaceted but united.”

Veronica Yoko Plebani, Italian Paralympic Athlete: “The power of my Vogue cover, that has been celebrated as a changemaker in fashion, is that it engages with the people and spaces around us to activate meaningful and collective change that goes above and beyond our community. We are used to seeing and to representing diversity as something extraordinary, not common, so it’s truly necessary nowadays to show how natural our confidence is, how beautiful it is, how beauty is made of complexity and coexistence. Evolving to normalize the concept of diversity and inclusion is the only way we can really make a change”

About CNMI

Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) is a non-profit association founded in 1958 to represent, promote and support the values and development of Italian fashion in Italy and worldwide. Based in world fashion capital Milan, the Association represents around 220 Italian brands. CNMI members include some of the biggest names in Italian fashion, such as Armani, Bottega Veneta, Dolce & Gabbana, Emilio Pucci, Etro, Fendi, Ferragamo, Gucci, Max Mara, Missoni, Moncler, OTB, Prada, Roberto Cavalli, Trussardi, Valentino, Versace and ZEGNA. Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana members enjoy numerous services, as well as being able to take part in all the Association’s events and activities. CNMI’s mission is to support the entire Italian fashion industry worldwide by maintaining institutional relationships and communicating our values and activities. One of the most important of our many initiatives is organizing the Milan Fashion Weeks. CNMI’s operating strategy and development are based on the following four pillars: Sustainability, Education and Young Designers, Digitalization and Internationalization.

Contact for press beatrice.rossaro@cameramoda.it