FASHION-savvy men who feel they have been overlooked by Singapore retailers can look forward to a Z Zegna boutique here when Ion Orchard opens.

Parent company Ermenegildo Zegna may be known for its exquisite fabrics and formal suits, but Z Zegna, a line launched in Spring 2004, is for the fashion-forward urban guy.

“Z Zegna is for the modern metropolitan man who is style and quality orientated,” says Alessandro Sartori, the brand’s creative director who was previously part of the design team for Ermenegildo Zegna for more than 10 years.

He has been charting the direction for Z Zegna, and is noted for his ability to set a strong tone for the line, as well as provide theatrical elements of surprise at the brand’s runway shows in New York.

For the Fall/Winter 2009 show, for instance, he had models making a splash on the runway – literally.

The collection – which will be in the store here when it opens – will showcase Zegna’s strength in modern tailoring but has also been described as dandy and even frivolous.

Although the Italian brand has deep roots in Milan, it has chosen to debut its collections in New York – and has done so every season, perhaps as a tribute to the image of the cosmopolitan Manhattan male.

But how will it dress up the Singapore man? It will certainly offer something “new, powerful with structure and substance in Singapore”, says Mr Sartori.

“It will inspire Singapore men to dress with confidence and self-expression. We are the only brand to offer the rare proposition of style and quality. This puts us in a unique position.”

The ready-to-wear label features a range of contemporary coats and clothes. Sartori describes the label’s direction as “realism in style” and “excellence in fabrics”.

“Z Zegna shares the same DNA as Ermenegildo Zegna, focusing on craftsmanship, impeccable detail and top-quality fabrics,” says Mr Sartori.

“The Z Zegna consumer is interested and attracted by the design, fit and the quality of products - and most of all, style.”

Z Zegna was previously available as a capsule collection in Ermenegildo Zegna stores, but the opening of the mono-brand store “will accelerate the brand further into the consciousness of savvy customers here,” according to Mr Sartori.

An Ermenegildo Zegna boutique will also open at Ion Orchard.

This article was first published in The Business Times .