The Champagnes on Us

We’re sure you remember the story of Robin Hood stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. Well the “rich” were certainly in evidence at the recent opening of the new flagship Ermenegildo Zegna store on Fifth Avenue in New York. It looked like EVERYBODY was bespoke, so to speak, in Zegna. That’s “Today” show host Matt Lauer and also master merchant Allen Questrom in pics with Gildo Zegna. And there’s former football player and current “Today” show correspondent Tiki Barber and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (with model Gisele Bundchen) and New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning all in Zegna.

We weren’t wearing Zegna but we did a nice job of representing the “poor” knocking over a whole tray of filled Champagne glasses utterly bubbly with excitement. Part of that thrill was seeing the marvelous front-and-center placement of eyewear in the store. You can’t miss it and you can’t miss that the optical options ala the branding partnership with Viva are on a luxury level equal to the rich mix of everything Zegna.

The opening Robin Hood mention was a good for a good cause since the whole evening was a joint effort with the Robin Hood foundation funding their numerous initiatives fighting poverty in New York. Check THAT worthy cause out at www.robinhood.org. 

  —James J. Spina