After Decades Away, Agnona Is Back With a New Line of Relaxed, Luxurious Menswear

The all-stars of Italian luxury are an elite few, their status solidified over decades, if not more than a century, of weaving, stitching and cobbling world-class wares. Which means it’s not often that a newcomer joins their rarefied ranks. But while the name Agnona, the buzziest label among Italian fashion’s haute-est echelon, may be unfamiliar to you, its ascension has been long in the making. Originating as a mill, the brand has specialized in the most sumptuous fabrics and knitwear for over half a century. Now, with a new leader and a renewed vision, Agnona is claiming its place as a genuine arbiter of cashmere-swathed sophistication.

The brand was created in 1953 by Francesco Ilorini Mo, in the same northern Italian province where Loro Piana was founded. Like its neighbor, Agnona began as a textile merchant, dealing decadent cashmere, vicuña and alpaca yardage to Parisian couturiers, including Christian Dior and Cristóbal Balenciaga. The founder’s fabrics gained such a reputation that, with the help of another neighbor, Zegna, Agnona eventually launched its own ready-to-wear collection. In the ’90s, the company was acquired by Zegna and went through several attempted reboots, though the niche maker never quite found its footing within Zegna’s corporate structure.

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Cashmere jacket, ,290, cotton hoodie, Agnona FW22,390. - Credit: Agnona
Cashmere jacket, ,290, cotton hoodie, Agnona FW22,390. - Credit: Agnona

Agnona

Stefano Aimone, the brand’s new CEO and creative director, says Mo’s “core idea was that the garments are just a piece of fabric with sleeves.” That approach—minimalist designs rendered in the very finest materials—is what set Agnona apart from Italy’s other cashmere kingpins at the time: It was modern. “He had this really comfortable silhouette,” Aimone says. “Leisurewear, daywear, tailoring—but dressed down. That’s why it’s really now: There’s no more stiff power suit, even for businessmen. There is no more dress code.”

A scion of the Zegna family, Aimone grew up immersed in the tailoring business. Most recently he served as the head of design for Z Zegna, but with his “much more laidback” personal style, Aimone says he always had a soft spot for Agnona. When the pandemic struck, he decided to take action and, along with his father, acquired a majority stake in the company.

“What we’re trying to do is get back to where everything started,” Aimone explains. His fall collection, which reintroduced menswear after 20-plus years of dormancy, follows the founder’s fabric-first ethos with soft-shouldered, double-face cashmere jackets, leather-trimmed alpaca chore coats, cotton-cashmere jeans and an array of plush sweaters in the most exquisite fibers. Produced entirely in a natural palette of cream, camel, brown and black, the garments transcend the usual divides between uptown and downtown, on duty and off.

Cashmere-silk sweater, Agnona FW22,890. - Credit: Agnona
Cashmere-silk sweater, Agnona FW22,890. - Credit: Agnona

Agnona

Asked about his competitors, Aimone replies, “I can’t say Loro Piana, because it’s too classic, too conservative. Cucinelli, too—it’s very, very him. The Row is too simple; Jil Sander is too fashion.” With its exceptionally well-made staples, the new Agnona manages to work with all of the above without prescribing to a distinct house style. Items like trim flannel trousers, wool-and-silk knit T-shirts and cashmere overshirts can be worn endlessly and in any number of ways.

“It’s much more contemporary,” Aimone says. “For me, contemporary is about expression, about freedom; it’s not about a specific design or silhouette.” For a brand rooted in old-school luxury craftsmanship, Agnona’s attitude is relentlessly new.

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