The evolution of Zegna continues as Alessandro Sartori presented his spring collection mini-movie. The designer – one of menswear’s undisputed kings – has been thinking hard about what post-pandemic dressing really means. His answer is clothes crafted by Zegna’s artisans, built for the way we live now.
He described the collection, dubbed The (New) Set, as being “Tuned to the needs of today”. His mission, he says, is to “create an accord between the essence of tailoring which is our reason for being and the rhythm of the modern world.”
After 18 months of work from home and lockdown, the traditional suited and booted look appears to be from another era. In their place are soft tones worn head-to-toe, relaxed silhouettes and clothes that can be mixed and matched with each other and your existing wardrobe. What men want now, reasons Sartori, is luxury crafting and distinctive design, combined with freedom, ease and effortlessness. “Pieces that are easy to wear as they are inventive,” said the designer who said the brand is building a new atelier to work on new more relaxed constructions.
You could see the results of that inventiveness in this collection with jackets that look like shirts or half kimonos. From the roomy duster coats to the abstract wool jacquards, these clothes are tactile and enveloping. And they’re for everyone. Female models sized-down version of the menswear and looked enviably elegant.
Sartori’s mini-movie started in a maze in Turin. The discombobulating twists and turns, aptly reflected the confusion of today before the camera opened out to shots of models running free across a Milanese plaza, then walking on water to reach a banqueting table placed in a vast oblong pool and sitting down together to enjoy the moment. The final shots showed the Zegna gang, lounging in the golden light of a setting sun, looking utterly content and relaxed. This is the emotion that Zegna conveys. It’s a happy place.
Photography courtesy of Ermenegildo Zegna.
