A new all-encompassing book documents Zegna&rsquo;s over-century-long history, the story of its founder, and the brand&rsquo;s intrinsic relationship with the environment.

The first tree of more than 500,000 planted for the reforestation of Oasi Zegna dates back to 1929. The immense natural reservation project in Italy extends across 100 square kilometers between Trivero, Biella&mdash;where Ermenegildo Zegna's wool company, Zegna, first began production in 1910&mdash;and Valle Cervo. Founded in 1993, the Osai Zegna nature preserve, which invites visitors to hike, bike, and bird watch, reflects Zegna&rsquo;s fondness for the environment, and aims to enrich the land surrounding its wool mill. Today, the project finds new life and inspiration in the pages of&nbsp;Born in Oasi Zegna, published by Rizzoli, with the creative direction of Laura Decaminada and written by Chidozie Obasi. The book, which documents Zegna&rsquo;s century-plus connection to nature and preservation, was presented in April at the company&rsquo;s headquarters during Milan Design Week, alongside an installation that transformed the book&rsquo;s pages into reality: a corridor is lined with leaves on the ground, and throughout, copies of the book were stacked to look like soil, with trees coming out of them.

The book itself invites an immersive experience. The cover is rough, with veins that resemble&nbsp; the bark of a tree. The sensation of leafing through the pages is heightened by alternating types of paper&mdash;all Forest Stewardship Council&ndash;certified environmentally friendly paper&mdash;that recalls the softness of wool, which, alongside cashmere and vicuna, is a signature material of the Piedmontese company.&nbsp;Born in Oasi Zegna opens with a defining statement: &ldquo;Born in Oasi Zegna&nbsp;is the home of our values. It reveals our history, and the vision of Ermenegildo Zegna, who transformed ideas into fabrics, created a forest, a road, and a community, creating the path where our journey began. His ecological thinking is at the heart of our company, and still lights our way towards tomorrow." The presence of the founder is a constant throughout&nbsp;Born in Oasi Zegna. Zegna is always seen impeccably dressed, wearing a suit and a Barbisio hat, and carrying a walking stick.

"Ermenegildo Zegna&rsquo;s ecological thinking is at the heart of our company, and still lights our way towards tomorrow."

Moments of wool processing and details of tailoring garments are shown in photographs: workers gathering in the factory, sheep scattered across the expanses of Mongolia, the llamas of Peru. You can also find images of the first Zegna logo, the 1960s ready-to-wear collection, and a boutique in Rue de la Paix in Paris in 1980. The photography is accompanied by illustrations from Paolo Bacilieri, Cecilia Carlstedt, and Giuseppe Ragazzini. The book recalls the transatlantic journey of Zegna and his son Aldo, who landed in New York in 1938, expanding their product to the U.S. Following the cycle of the seasons, the book can be read chronologically or at random. It includes old newspaper clippings, postcards, and advertisements from the 1980s (including a notable one for silk balaclavas).

Born in Oasi Zegna&nbsp;begins in the past, but it also documents the present,&nbsp; with the 2000 creation of the Zegna Foundation&mdash;which continues Zegna&rsquo;s legacy with humanitarian projects stretching across art, culture, sustainability, and medical research. It also chronicles the 2007 opening of the brand's headquarters in Milan (designed by ACPV Architects Antonio Citterio and Patricia Viel), as well as its many fashion shows, which are always a celebration of natural materials in clothing and setting.&nbsp;Born in Oasi Zegna&nbsp;reveals a common thread: a sense of responsibility towards the land, a guiding principle since Zegna&rsquo;s founding. The Oasi Zegna is a model of environmental awareness, nestled among snow-covered landscapes and rhododendron blooms in the Biella Alps; Zegna sees itself as a player in the fashion industry dedicated to being a guardian of biodiversity and to actively give back to nature. &ldquo;The second best thing we do is clothing,&rdquo; the book says. &ldquo;The first is Oasi Zegna."

"The second best thing we do is clothing."

Get to Know Italian Label Zegna Through Nature's Lens

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