Zegna’s message at the sprawling former fairgrounds space in Milan was razor-sharp clear. With the finest wool in the world in a glass display case at the entrance, huge screens showing numerous flocks of sheep, and the set reproducing verdant grass mounds, the focus was obvious.
Artistic director Alessandro Sartori called the collection “Vellus Aureum,” after a single wool fleece reached the world record in 2023 with a fineness of 9.4 microns. Sartori paid homage to this achievement, saying ahead of the show that, in 1963, founder Ermenegildo Zegna established the Wool Trophy Awards in Australia to support woolgrowers in their pursuit of the finest wool in the world.
Vellus Aureum refers to the mythical feat of Jason and the Argonauts and the quest for the Golden Fleece, and at Zegna this “stands for the pursuit of the extraordinary,” said Sartori, who worked with this jewel-in-the-crown yarn and with washed wools.
The founder was on the designer’s mind also in the shapes he chose for the generous proportions of the pants, which were high-waisted and beltless.
“To generate new classics, I worked on the attitude and spirit, the nonchalant way the garments are worn, which are quintessentially ‘Torinese’ in this collection, which is a particular way of being Italian,” he said, in a reference to Turin, the city in the Piedmont region that is around 60 miles away from Zegna’s headquarters.
This was reflected in the boxier and longer jackets, with lower, diagonally cut pockets and lower buttons, suggesting a more casual and insouciant slant, and the deconstructed silhouettes, also in the rejuvenated double-breasted suits.
There were several macro patterns and Donegal motifs that had a British feel, which was replicated on the lightest silk shirts.
Knee-length oversize coats with cashfur collars oozed luxury, and bomber jackets had lapels and elasticated waists. There were plenty of luscious knits, chunky cardigans and V-necked sweaters with leather collars. Worn tucked into the high-waisted pants, they looked super chic and modern.
Aligned with the trend in Milan, suits were also shown in corduroy and cashmere cotton and there were washed Oxford pants worn under Zegna’s signature Il Conte jacket, which was introduced here in shearling and in Oasi Cashmere jersey as a vest.
Sartori has a painter’s eye when it comes to the color palette, which didn’t disappoint for fall with shades of juniper, beaver, terracotta, mountain lily and berry red.
Actor John Turturro walked the show wearing a brown monochromatic pants-and-sweater combo under a roomy coat with a furry collar bringing the point home: Sartori evolved the brand’s aesthetic with a wearable, beautiful collection that worked across generations.
