New season, new start – at least it is for Ermenegildo Zegna Couture, where their new artistic director Alessandro Sartori unveiled his new collection, in a new venue, with a new attitude – and a new sales tactic. It wasn’t see-now, buy-now – that’s not terribly Zegna. Instead, it was see-now, order to be made-to-measure and you’ll get it in six weeks. Which is more of a mouthful, but is the ethos of see-now buy-now translated to the painstaking world of couture, for him. Sartori’s move to Zegna saw him explore a more casual side of his aesthetic – using Zegna’s fabric renown to create outstanding textiles like ultralight cashmere casentino felt, and cutting them into easy, sportswear shapes with deep elasticated cuffs on trousers, and chunky sportif sneakers. The fabric technology wasn’t restricted to the clothes, either – a series of accessories came in a new fabric, dubbed Pelle Tessuta and literally woven from thin strips of leather. From a distance, it looked kind of like a rubberised prince-of-wales check. But, obvs, it was the mega-luxe version. That’s the uniting thread behind this Sartori collection – superlative textiles, ingenious cuts, and a mood of modern luxury. Luxury is freedom – to do what you want, when you want, and wear what you like. That’s why Sartori’s men were freed from the suit, wearing track-pants, coats, sweatshirts and even a hoodie. There were suits in there too, of course. But like everything else at Zegna, they looked new.
Photographs by Jason Lloyd-Evans
