The house of Zegna sits at the pinnacle of Italian sartorial excellence, a place it has steadily occupied since its founding in 1910. Combining an unwavering commitment to the highest quality standards and a keen eye for state-of-the-art technologies (with vertically integrated operations that enable the design process to actually start from the creation of fibers), the company is now on the eve of a major stylistic renovation, welcoming back designer Alessandro Sartori to the group, who’ll be charged from next season with the brand’s artistic direction.
The Spring 2017 collection was presented in the showroom, together with the more upscale Couture line. A play between formality and informality ran throughout the lineups, referencing the elegance of ’50s Italian style, debonair and stylish. Tailoring had a light edge; shoulders were softly designed and jackets were elongated, paired with high-waisted tapered trousers. Hints of sportswear were discreetly incorporated, giving even business suits a twist of athletic modernity. As always with Zegna, fabrics were of outstanding quality and came in a variety of beautiful textures, displaying a virtuoso tour de force that peaked in Pelle Tessuta, or woven leather, an exclusive material actually made of leather threads. To further highlight the house’s signature allure, the Couture collection was replete with hand-finished details for a soigné yet modern attitude, as in impeccably tailored tuxedos worn with silk polo shirts; they exuded a charming connoisseur’s flair.
