French luxury menswear brand Maison ZILLI which established in 1965 by Teofilo Zilli and credited with having pioneered luxury leather jackets, was acquired in 2021 by Dubai-based investment fund Negma Group, founded by Elaf Gassam. As the brand gears up for its 60th anniversary in 2025, it’s in much better shape than three years ago, when the acquisition dragged it out of a Chapter 11-like procedure in France.

“We’ve spent the first years analyzing the world that has made the brand globally renowned in its first 60 years,” said president and chief executive officer Giuseppe Di Nuccio, a seasoned industry executive with previous experiences at Prada, Giorgio Armani and Burberry, among other brands. Since the acquisition and his arrival, Maison Zilli has made leaps toward profitability and implemented a business plan aimed at growing its international scope, while preserving its DNA rooted in leather outerwear and artisanship.

In addition to beefing up management and key divisions, including the design studio, the brand has recently refurbished its only flagship, on Paris’ Rue François 1er; expanded its leather goods assortment; opened a showroom in central Milan to operate sales campaigns, and has developed a global distribution push.

Di Nuccio believes that Maison Zilli’s unique positioning and avoidance of seasonal trends help ensure its profitability. With sales of 40 million euros in 2023, the brand posted net profits of 3 million euros and double-digit earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.