Typically, Zegna for the last couple of years has held the prime spot of closing out Milan Fashion Week Men’s. This season, however, artistic director Alessandro Sartori had his sights set far beyond Italy. The brand jetted the fash pack off to Dubai for a special SS26 show that the designer described as a “vision of togetherness”. Destination shows are a rarity in the world of menswear and Zegna packed all the punches. It’s part of the brand’s Villa Zegna project, which has seen the menswear titan bring the brand’s story to different corners of the globe in an ongoing roadshow.
This time, Sartori called upon friend of the house, the musician James Blake, to score the brand’s debut in United Arab Emirates which took place inside the lavish Dubai Opera. “There is an immediacy and a liveliness to the earthy allure of this collection that belies the layered thought process behind it,” says Sartori. “As designers, we do half of the work: the rest happens when clients interpret pieces day by day. This individual, non-standard interpretation today is on the catwalk, showing the Zegna view in its natural environment: life. There is a culture of dressing, a proper and insouciant manner to it which to me captures a peculiar Italian timbre that I want to keep as our signature”.
Throughout his tenure at Zegna, Sartori has loosened the constraints of the suit, freeing tailoring of its rigidness with boxy silhouettes and collarless blazers. This time around he proposed relaxed field jackets and cardigans as well as suit jackets that were elongated with a singular buttonhole close to the naval. Standout pieces came in a palette of earthy greens, dusty pinks and gentle browns and creams that could blend effortlessly into a desert backdrop. The mixing of hand-spun silks, sanded hemp, and lightweight Shetland wool throughout ensured the collection is easily transferable to different climates. Whether it’s a breezy Milanese spring or a scorching Dubai summer, Sartori’s Zegna is a go-to.
Photography courtesy of Zegna.
