IHT fashion doyenne Suzy Menkes today highlights Ermenegildo Zegna's digital retail experience, with its new 3D in-store app featuring model/actress Milla Jovovich (and directed by Hollywood special effects director James Lima) leading luxury retailers into cyberspace.

Launched in July in tandem with the opening of its new Paris flagship, Lima tells Menkes about the challenges of creating a virtual experience for a brand on the iPad, a 3D trend that Burberry and Ralph Lauren are also exploring.

“It is a very interesting problem, using high-end Hollywood visual effects and animation software, transported into a different Internet format," Lima comments. "In Hollywood, we design by story, it’s all from a script — but this is not Brad Pitt, it’s brand narration.”

Missoni isn't the only Italian brand that's coming to America. 

Bloomberg reports that Fiat Spa, which owns 53.5 percent of Chrysler Group LLC, “may shift planned production of Jeep and Alfa Romeo sport-utility vehicles from its oldest plant in Turin to North America and build a small city car at the factory instead.”

Now, the weak dollar may have Fiat moving some jobs to the United States.

The possible shift will be discussed Thursday when CEO Sergio Marchionne “hosts the first meeting of Fiat and Chrysler’s single management team” in Turin, Italy, Bloomberg hears.Continue reading...

Continuing the trend of brands taking over Times Square, FIAT North America brought its first TV commercial, "Drive-in," to life with an event that evoked Italia for Big Apple tourists and shoppers this past weekend, not letting Sunday's rain spoil the fun.

The lure of free espresso and gelato, bocce ball, music and a drive-in movie experience — thirty Fiat 500 sedans and cabrios arranged,  drive-in style, to watch movies on the Times Square jumbotron as dusk fell — wooed passersby to check out the "Simply More by Fiat" experience, where they could chat with Fiat product specialists (including Fiat North America head Laura Soave) and check out the 2012 Fiat 500 and Fiat 500 Cabrio.Continue reading...

These are some heady times for Fiat. The company just closed its account with the U.S. government this week by purchasing the final remnants of Chrysler. The Fiat 500 recently was named Coolest New Car Under $18,000 by Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com. The 2012 500 coupe is garnering raves from U.S. reviewers who call it things like “spunky” and “beautiful.”

And American consumers are beginning to get their first full taste of the Fiat brand in decades as the new 500 gets rolled out through hand-picked Chrysler dealers who will be selling Fiat models in America as the brand's new marketing campaign takes hold.Continue reading...

China really is picking up on this whole consumer culture thing.

A scandal came to a head late last week as the head of Shanghai-based luxury furniture brand DaVinci melted down at a press conference in which she said allegations that it deals in counterfeit furniture — sold as "made in Italy" but in fact made in China — were false.

As the New York Times explains, "DaVinci furniture stores have been places where wealthy Chinese in (Shanghai) and five other big cities can indulge their appetite for imported luxury. Promoting itself as 'a haven for premium products,' DaVinci is the place to go for Versace sofas, sumptuous Fendi Casa calf-skin couches or stylish chaise lounges stamped Made in Italy. A DaVinci bedroom set can sell for $100,000."

The scandal exemplifies how fragile the brand relationship is in China and how Chinese consumers are increasingly upset about counterfeiting.Continue reading...

ING Direct in Italy doesn't need to let its ads do the talking; its ads are talking.

The new spots above and below riff on the online bank's 2010 Italian campaign that featured talking actors on the sides of buses, billboards and other outdoor ads for the brand, which uses a pumpkin in Italy instead of the orange ball used in its North American marketing.Continue reading...

Two days ago we looked at a new Dairy Queen ad and pondered if it was an homage to the Old Spice Guy ads, or mocking them.

Now, along comes a commercial for Italian firearms brand Benelli, and, well, they are cooking with peanut oil.Continue reading...

For the kick-off of Milan Fashion Week today, Gucci and Fiat unveiled the 500 by Gucci, a special edition of the iconic Fiat 500 customized by Gucci creative director (and UNICEF honoree) Frida Giannini in partnership with Fiat's Centro Stile. Check out Gucci's autumn/winter 2011 runway show here.