Stefano Pilati to exit Ermenegildo Zegna

It has been a week of departures for Italy's luxury men's fashion houses: first there was suit maker Brioni, who in a statement said its creative director, Brendan Mullane, would not be renewing his contract. Next up footwear brand Berluti, who is to part ways with its creative director Alessandro Sartori. And now Stefano Pilati is exiting Ermenegildo Zegna, the designer and the Ermenegildo Zegna Group confirmed today.

"I want to thank Stefano for his contribution to Ermenegildo Zegna. We wanted to develop a strong point of view in fashion as well as style, and for Zegna to be a show not to be missed in Milan. We have reached this objective faster than expected. As we move on to write new chapters in Zegna’s development, I wish Stefano well for his future endeavours," said Gildo Zegna, chief executive officer of the Zegna Group in a statement.

Pilati, who has been in the position for three years, added: “I have given much consideration to this decision and after thoughtful conversations with Gildo Zegna, we have reached the conclusion that the mission he entrusted me with had been fulfilled. I now wish to focus on other projects that I had put aside in order to achieve our common goals with Zegna Couture.”

Pilati joined Zegna after a highly publicised exit at Yves Saint Laurent in March 2012. He was named creative director of Agnona, and head of design at Ermenegildo Zegna, with responsibility for that brand’s fashion show as well as for the Ermenegildo Zegna Couture collection, the latter built on sartorial, hand-stitched suits in luxury fabrics.