Ermenegildo Zegna Appoints Angelica Cheung Strategic Adviser to CEO for Asia

MILAN — The Ermenegildo Zegna Group has tapped Angelica Cheung as strategic adviser to chief executive officer Gildo Zegna for the Asian region, WWD has learned.

It is understood she will focus on China and work with the local team.

Asked to comment, Gildo Zegna confirmed the appointment. “I have always enjoyed discussing business strategies and consumers’ trends with Angelica over the years,” he responded. “I find her smart, insightful and always to the point. As she enters a new career chapter, we feel it is the right time to formalize the relationship. I am sure her knowledge and experience of the fashion industry and vast network will help strengthen our business, especially in China.”

Zegna will rely on Cheung’s expertise in China and Asia. The former longtime editorial director of Vogue China revealed last month that she was joining venture capital firm Sequoia Capital’s China branch as a venture partner. She had left Vogue China in December after 16 years.

“I have known Gildo Zegna for a long time and I have always been impressed by his energy and passion for his brand,” said Cheung. “He invited me to help in a more formal way and I said yes. I hope I can help by offering my perspectives on the changing market, especially on China. It is a strategic advisory role alongside my full-time commitment as venture partner at Sequoia China.”

Cheung is the founding editor of Vogue China, creating what is considered one of the most commercially successful editions of the magazine. She has also launched spin-off titles Vogue Me and Vogue Film to tap into China’s younger generation, and the entertainment industry, to great success. At Sequoia China, she will focus on the fashion, lifestyle and entertainment sectors, supporting “the new generation of Chinese innovation and international brands expanding into China, but with a much wider scope,” as reported.

Cheung’s appointment signals Zegna’s even bigger commitment to Greater China, which is a key market for the group, accounting for around 40 percent of the brand’s sales.

Zegna was a pioneer in China and this year celebrates its 30th anniversary in the region, with plans to continue to invest in that area.

At the end of 2019, the group had 60 stores in Greater China.

The appointment reflects a similar strategy Gildo Zegna put in place in the U.S. last year. In 2020, Tom Kalenderian, the longtime head of men’s wear for Barneys New York, joined the luxury group as strategic adviser for retail and merchandising in the U.S. He was also named a board member of Ermenegildo Zegna in the U.S.

Kalenderian’s appointment coincided with Angelo Zegna, son of Gildo Zegna, joining the company as head of retail and merchandising in the U.S.

The Italian men’s wear giant marked its 110th anniversary in 2020.

The company closed 2019 with sales of just above 1.3 billion euros, compared with 1.16 billion euros in 2018, also helped by the consolidation of the Thom Browne label, acquired in 2018.