The Portofino Spring Regatta hints at the status of Ermenegido Zegna in men's fashion. Frequented by King Juan Carlos of Spain, Prince Charles the Aga Khan and the social elite of touring internationals, the Portofino Regatta is the most fashionable yachting event in the world: Ascot on the water. While a day at Ascot would reveal all the great names in menswear, at Portofino one label is quite outstanding.

Out on the course, the Italian Yachting Team in their customised sportswear do battle for the Ermenegildo Zegna Trophy, the name behind 70% of all fine menswear in the world. Zegna, one of Italy's last great family held textile firms are further distinguished as the makers of the fine woollen cloth used to create Dunhill suits and the collections of Perry Ellis and Ralph Lauren.

Since the 1970s, Zegna's own line of menswear has become the international benchmark for consummate tailoring and sophisticated, classic style, asserting a commitment to quality with the Italians unique sense of subtlety and lightness. They make a cashmere suit so delicate that it must be hung in a closet for six days after wearing so the fabric may recover. Ferraris are upholstered in Zegna wool, Pope John Paul II insists on having his white vestments made by Zegna, of Zegna fabric.

Zegna has burgeoned from a simple philosophy of perfection in all raw materials; cashmere from inner Mongolia, mohair from South Africa, silk from China, cotton from Egypt and fine merino wool from Australia - wherever the finest natural fibre is grown. Each year Zegna awards a prize for the finest wool in Australia (they are in their own right the largest buyer of superfine wool), mohair in South Africa and in a somewhat less formal ceremony, they acknowledge the herdsmen of Inner Mongolia who grow the finest cashmere.