Alain Elkann Interviews

Gildo Zegna on Building a Family Empire That Lasts Four Generations - 264 - Alain Elkann Interviews

THE GOLDEN FLEECE OF ZEGNA. Ermenegildo "Gildo" Zegna is Chairman and CEO of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group, founded in 1910 as a textile company by his grandfather and namesake in Trivero, Italy. Under his leadership, the Group has strengthened its position in high-end menswear and has grown into one of the leading global companies in the luxury sector. In 2011, Zegna was awarded the title of Cavaliere del Lavoro (Knight of Labour) by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano. In 2021, the Ermenegildo Zegna Group was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. "Our vertically integrated "sheep-to-shop" model is unique in luxury. Next year, over 60% of our products will be made in-house." "Personalization is increasingly important: people want something unique and delivered fast." "We are not a conglomerate, but a strong group of luxury brands led by a team that protects our authenticity and unique approach."

Why Culture Matters More Than Ever - Cardinal Tolentino de Mendonça's Call to Humanity - 263 - Alain Elkann Interviews

José Tolentino de Mendonça is a theologian, university professor, and one of the most original voices in modern Portuguese. Born in the island of Madeira in 1965, today he is Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, an administrative unit of the Roman Curia. He is Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Institute for Christian Archaeology and a Bishop since 2018. From 2018 to 2022 he was Librarian of the Holy Roman Church. He was made a Cardinal in October 2019. "The common thread running through my story is the importance of attention to culture, dialogue, and the power of knowledge and science." "This is a time when the desire for peace, the stubborn search for a path of peace, should be the primary concern of contemporary culture and society." "My vision as a man of the church, as a believer, as a Christian, is ultimately a poetic vision and ends up being my way of inhabiting reality."

Inside Global Power: Giuliano da Empoli on Trump, Putin & the New Tech Elites - 262 - Alain Elkann Interviews

MPERIAL PLAY. Giuliano da Empoli was born in 1973. He is an Italian and Swiss writer and political scientist living in France. He was a senior advisor to Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. His debut novel The Wizard of the Kremlin became an international bestseller and was translated into 35 languages. A 2025 film version stars Jude Law as Vladimir Putin. His latest book The Hour of the Predator is currently France's best-selling non-fiction title. "These characters could originate from a Machiavelli book or a Roman history book." "The predator's political miracle is bypassing rules and laws, transgressing and wiping out the system as we know it to impact the problem that nobody could solve." "I'm a very strong pro-European and I want a European Federation. I want Europe to be politically united."

Mishal Husain: The Art of the Interview in an Age of Noise - 261 - Alain Elkann Interviews

A JOURNEY THROUGH JOURNALISM. Mishal Husain is a celebrated British journalist who joined Bloomberg from the BBC, where she presented its leading news programme Today on BBC Radio 4 for over a decade. Before joining Today in 2013, she was an anchor on the international news channel BBC World News. In 2024 she was awarded the Charles Wheeler Award for Outstanding Contribution to Journalism by the British Journalism Review. Mishal has written a Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller family memoir, Broken Threads: A Family From Empire to Independence, and The Skills: How to Win at Work. "The Elon Musk interview is amongst the most difficult that I've done." "I've realised that we are now, perhaps increasingly, again in an age of division." "I hope that in one way or another we still have people who are going to search for the forgotten, overlooked stories."

Architecture as a Language - Sean Griffiths on Cities, Power & Design - 260 - Alain Elkann Interviews

MODERN ARCHITECT. Sean Griffiths is Professor of Architecture at the University of Westminster and former Visiting Professor of Architectural Design at Yale University. His current architecture and design practice Modern Architect was founded in 2014 and has worked largely on residential, commercial and public art projects. Previously Sean Griffiths was a founding director of the internationally renowned art/architecture practice FAT, where he won many design awards. FAT represented the UK at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2014. "I was really thinking I would pursue a career as an artist" "The idea that you make architecture as a sort of branding jewel that you place in a city is not something that I particularly love" "We use language to help us navigate the world, and architecture also creates patterns that help us navigate the world"