Founded in 1910 by Ermenegildo Zegna, the Zegna Wool Mills, known in Italian as lanificio, are the world's highest quality mill. Relatives of the Zegna family have been involved in the wool industry dating back to the 1500s and the lanificio is currently managed by a fourth generation of Zegnas.
America’s Best Cleaners and its affiliates toured the Zegna Wool Mills in Biella, Italy, where they were shown the process Zegna employs to create the finest fabrics from natural materials including vicuna, alpaca, mohair, angora, cashmere and wool.
Above, Left to Right: Affiliates view vats of freshly dyed wool; coarsely spun wool is loaded onto spools for further refinement; a Zegna textile expert explains how heavy thread is converted to finer widths; affiliates examine the final stage of thread refinement.
After touring the corporate headquarters, the group was brought into the production area where they witnessed the entire manufacturing process – from cleaning and dying through to spinning and weaving. Led by a representative from upper management, the America's Best Cleaners group enjoyed detailed explanations of each stage of Zegna’s fabric construction process.
This behind-the-scenes look and hands-on tour, as well as the ability to ask detailed questions of the textile experts at Zegna gives America's Best Cleaners affiliates unique insight into how to care for and maintain these fine designer goods.
Right, Top to Bottom: A
Representative of Zegna Mills points out features of the complicated
loom machinery to an affiliate of America's Best Cleaners; Affiliates
examine finished textiles on the loom and bolt; the Affiliates finish
the tour at the Zegna Factory store, where they can view fashions
crafted from the fine materials they just witnessed being produced.
