Artistic director Alessandro Sartori managed to help fend off digital fatigue with a spectacular video filmed at the Oasi Zegna with models walking in the snow, the stunning sunset over the mountain crests as a background.
Changing the viewpoint — underscoring the concept of a road leading into the future that has become Zegna’s signifier post-rebranding — interior shots and the city of Milan were juxtaposed to the Oasi, as the short film closed with a special performance in front of the Duomo cathedral choreographed by Sadeck Waff that paid tribute to the 80 artisans who worked on the collection.
Realizing the video over five days in frigid weather was certainly no small feat, but Sartori succeeded in creating a special moment for the small group of around 50 guests invited to the Zegna headquarters on Friday.
Whatever the medium, product remains the core and was meticulously developed as the designer offered a beautiful and sophisticated collection, which was physically introduced and presented by Sartori at Zegna’s showroom on a group of models and through a static installation at the end of the video.
For fall, which he said marked “a new aesthetic and a new chapter” for the brand, Sartori seamlessly blended technical innovation, function and design with the most luxurious fabrics, such as cashmere from Mongolia that from now on will be certified Oasi Zegna for full traceability. Sustainability continues to be a priority for Sartori, who also employed the trademarked UseTheExisting gabardine.
While deconstructed and fluid thanks to the lack of shoulder pads and lining, Zegna’s one-button, more relaxed suits — with a new, superimposed and hand-stitched lapel — were not out of place on the mountain paths because of the technical advancement and the research that went into the materials.
Carrot-shaped pants were made of silk or cashmere treated in a technical way that rendered them water-repellent and were padded with wool fibers; rubberized leather was padded with jersey pile; short, jacket-length trapeze-shaped coats were worn over taped, technical silk inner shirts and ripstop wool or shearling anoraks looked cozy yet we’re weatherproof at the same time.
Sartori insisted on “hybridization,” emphasizing that “the definition of category is obsolete,” no longer differentiating a jacket from an outerwear garment.
He layered the looks – jacket, underpinning and pants – in the same material in three different weights, in a way that he believes “simplifies the styling.” To this end, the color palette was edited to eight colors that would allow easy mixing and matching, from white, stone-gray and black to chocolate brown, eggplant, brass and the now-signature vicuna.
Knitwear, he said, was “king of the season,” as he paraded thick, nubby sweaters celebrating “the art of mending” — global warming be damned.
