Ermenegildo Zegna fall 2021

Alessandro Sartori envisions his new iteration of the heritage brand as what I want to say is conservatively trendy or fashiony. 

is a softness, a fluidity, an ease that runs through out.

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This is not the Zegna you knew 10 years ago as the go to tailored suit brand for the executive, which I’m sure still exists; this is 21^st century Zegna which can be seen in a way that is ageless and so much of what we see here is due to styling trickery rather than how it can and will be worn.

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I’m a fan of full pants, bathrobe   wraps and this easy peasy kind of dressed up but not in a tight ass kind of way. No question, the clothes are expensive but, in many ways, they are timeless, classic and carry on the traditions and DNA of the brand.

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Amazing what you can do without bells and whistles like …stuffed animals, paste on kites and puddling pants yet still present a collection that rates up there with the best of them and while I’m sure it will not get the hype of a Prada or a Dior, I believe these are the kinds of clothes that have evolved during this pandemic era and will evolve even further in the post pandemic era.

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Simple limited palette, exquisite workmanship, beautiful lush fabrics and knits are hallmarks of the collection.

Ermenegildo Zegna fall 2020

Alessandro Sartori is plying his skill as a designer and bringing a new flavor to what once was the home of the staid Italian tailored business suit of choice when Brioni, Oxxford, Kiton and Savile Row were hitting the mark.

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What fascinates me here is that yes, there is an enlarged vocabulary of what constitutes a jacket but what has really been massaged is the DNA of the brand. The evidence is in how it was presented, the fabrications and the palette. Of course, there was a rather large assortment of silhouettes and proportions but much of it might have looked even more modern and less contrived if not so overly accessorized and styled.

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We will forgive Signor Sartori the use of a decades-old Gaultier wrap blazer and possibly the racial over-diversification of models of a very non-diversified age group. Sadly, one might be quite curious to see what these clothes would have looked like on those who were not quite so young and more mature and polished in terms of looks rather than just age.

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The optical patternings might have been a bit overkill but not really detrimental as a whole. As a collection, it should be seen as one that needs to be dissected to find wonderful outerwear, beautiful suits in a variety of shapes and even some wonderful knits. In other words, the collection should really not be reviewed on its face but as the sum of all of its parts that create a collection.

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Without doubt the collection is not over trended or trying to hard, it is merely trying to evolve with the times and Sartori is most definitely essaying to put his imprimatur on this once suits only heritage brand.

Ermenegildo Zegna fall 2019

Berluti’s loss is Zegna’s gain.

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Keep in mind that Zegna will always be classic clothing brand as in suitings but in the past decade or so they have expanded their reach by expanding their vision of how their clientele might dress when not in a suit. Yes, there is Z Zegna but that tends to skew younger than the eponymous brand

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Alessandro Sartori comprehends what it means to massage a trend ... meaning it still is more stylistically forward than the norm but it does not push the envelope to the point of absurdity. Sartori understands nuance and details as well as that massaging of newness can still be achieved while retaining the DNA of the brand… whether it’s the 1/4 top pockets on a blazer or suit jacket or  its asymmetrical closure. You might even notice an inch and a half or two inch cuff on printed pants where it’s barely noticeable, the outerwear and knits are outstanding in their diversity and design even though there may not be all that much that’s new here but it is how the pieces of the puzzle are assembled. 

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Sartori's skillset allows him to offer chic mendwear, he understands sprezzatura and he gets the concept of turned out and while Zegna may not be a monetarily accessible to most, the collection possesses “looks” of distinction. He tweaks the proportions, the layering, the prints, the colors and silhouettes. The clothes are modern and yet classically rooted offering an appeal to some who might never have dared to buy pieces such as these.

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I tip my hat to the powers that be and to Signor Sartori for giving us well designed fresh and appealing clothes that span age categories and will for the most part withstand the test of time

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Ermenegildo Zegna Fall 2018 Menswear

Don’t you just love it when you can actually see a trend/theme that runs through a collection? In this day and age it is an alien  concept that seems to evade most designers who are forever in a quest of shock and awe with just about anything that will stick to the wall.

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Here’s the thing …. . Zegna was for many decades this sleepy tailored clothing brand that had been one of those best open secrets of tailored clothing. The brand was preferred by men of substance like stock brokers and bankers and high powered businessmen who just wanted the best that money could buy and not to stand out.

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In the past decade or so the brand has taken the giant step to incorporate some fashion into the mix and has done so with great élan considering that they never forsook what made them famous and rich including their piece goods empire that services the menswear industry on a worldwide basis

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Pilatti gave them an edge but it is here now with Alessandro Sartori that the brand is reaching new heights in style as well as in fashion. Enter the one button suit, the slightly narrowed peak lapel. The tab closures, a softer shoulder, the relaxed fit, the proliferation of outerwear jackets some great knits and flat front pants. The mood is slightly relaxed giving off this sort of dressed up not dressed up vibe which I am sure many men will welcome given the relaxation of the many business dress codes that have come into play. Gone are the days of looking like you’re  stuffed into a suit with a pole up your ass and forced to stand perfectly erect. Enter the 21^st century and new generations of men who wear suits to go to business. 

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Zegna is about nuance and massaging the norms.