Lanificio Zignone: contemporary elegance respecting the Biellese tradition

50 years of wool history

Dynamism and modernity, two keywords that would seem to screech when combined with the classicism typical of wool fabrics, but which for more than 50 years have distinguished the Zignone wool mill which, located in the heart of Italian wool excellence, combines tradition and creativity to give life to fabrics with a contemporary elegance.

Lanificio Zignone has been dedicated to the production of woolen fabrics for 3 generations with passion, constant resourcefulness and hard work.

The name Zignone derives from the name of the company founder: Gilio Zignone. After years of work as a textile trader, recognized as a great expert on the subject, after the requests of customers Gilio decides to undertake the path that leads him to produce the fabrics that he has sold with dedication for so long.

After an initial phase dedicated to flannels, in 1968 the company was moved to Strona, in the Valle di Mosso, giving life to what is now Lanificio Zignone.

Year after year, thanks to the successes obtained, the company consolidates and thus begins the investments aimed at industrial development, the acquisitions of other companies, the upstream of the supply chain and the commercial expansion under the supervision and guidance of Gilio’s daughter, Luisella Zignone, today president, and his brother-in-law Giuseppe Patti who take over the reins of the company in this important phase of growth and technological renewal.

Today the company is led by the third generation of the family with Luca Patti and Matteo Patti who continue the business with a view to internationality and constant excellence.

In 2018 the company celebrated the great milestone of 50 years in business, producing over 2.5 million meters of fabric and exporting to 46 countries around the world.

Technical research and stylistic elegance

Originality and research distinguish the fabrics by Zignone, as well as quality thanks to the complete control of all the production phases that takes place in the Biella area, and timeliness to respond in the most rapid and flexible way to customer requests.

Particular attention is also paid to the research and development of fabrics that emphasize the physical and technical properties of the fibers used to obtain fabrics suitable for everyday life as well as for the most important moments in life.

The collections of the wool mill in fact enhance the Biellese textile heritage while adapting to the needs dictated by the new modern lifestyles. Zignone fabrics therefore represent a combination of history and dynamism, mixing classic lines with creativity, attention to detail and study of performance, drawing inspiration from the world and emerging trends. 

In fact, the wool mill has always been committed to aesthetics, hence its recognition as a company specialized in piece embroidery, combined with continuous research to improve the physical properties of the products, starting from elasticity and comfort, and in the development of innovative treatments to improve the wearability and practicality of materials such as the ECO-WASH collection in pure wool machine washable.

Each collection consists of fabrics for suits or jackets and trousers, with unique technical properties created to offer great functionality and comfort. Zignone Lab was born to meet these needs and brings together the lines with the most advanced productions of the wool mill. 

This range was born from the company’s commitment to research and development, with the aim of creating fabrics with superior technical properties. For this reason, the lines of ZignoneLAB enhance the performance of wool, thanks to original treatments and solutions specifically designed within the wool mill.

Past and future in harmony

Zignone’s fabrics recognize the typical know-how of Biella’s Made in Italy combined with the technical performance that only research and a future-oriented eye can offer, in full respect of the surrounding environment.

Aware of the importance of protecting the environment, the wool mill is committed with its business to address the issue of its impact, starting from the care in selecting the raw materials.

With this goal in mind, the internal raw material selection department chooses the finest wools from merino sheep in Australia and New Zealand and personally checks the farms, to ascertain the traceability of the raw materials and the protection of the flocks.

As a proof of this commitment, the wool mill is a partner of the Cashmere and Camel hair Manufacturers Institute, which works to trace and protect products made of noble fibers (cashmere, mohair, alpaca) and with fine or superfine wool (through the Superfine Wool Council).

Zignone has long been at the forefront of more responsible processes, for the benefit of the Biella area, the health of workers and client companies. For this reason, the company has been committed for years to eliminate pollutants and perform processes in line with the “Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals” vision, to optimize production processes, to limit water and energy consumption and thus reduce CO2 emissions.

As proof of this commitment, in 2012 Zignone launched the Zignone Zone line, which includes fabrics in pure organic wool capable of complying with the stringent rules of the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). In addition, with a view to transparency, the Green Trace brand was launched to guarantee complete traceability. The products marked Green Trace allow reconstructing the complete history of the individual fabrics in the form of graphic mapping, guaranteeing total control over the sustainability of the production chain.

Sustainability, therefore, not only in its most classic and well-known logic, but dynamic or proactive and attentive to the enhancement of any production step that characterizes the finished fabric and includes all the players involved in the creation of product collections. A dynamism that has distinguished Lanificio Zignone for more than 50 years.