Alain Schimmel founded Maison Zilli (ETS Zilli) with an investment into the Italian leatherwork specialist named Teofilo Zilli in 1965. ETS Zilli is based in Lyon, France. Zilli remains family-owned and can be described as an extreme Luxury menswear brand specializing in leather and cashmere outwear. Wild exotic skins, colorful patterns, silk-lined jackets are synonymous with Zilli. Since Zilli's debut, the company produces luxury leather jackets for men but has gradually extended to a full range of high luxury menswear in 1996. Luxury Jackets and belts are still manufactured in their Lyon workshop, and an Italian subsidiary is in charge of shirt manufacturing. In 2020, Zilli launched Zilli SPORT to cater to a more youthful audience and the rising luxury leisure market.