This year marks the 110th anniversary for Ermenegildo Zegna; a remarkable milestone indeed. Normally, this would have been a cause for a grand celebration. But we now live in the “new normal” of the post-pandemic days. Artistic Director Alessandro Sartori, therefore, chose not to celebrate; instead choosing to contemplate on the relationship between nature, man and machine.
“A moment like this can easily lead to a glorification of flawless precision of the machine,” says Sartori. “But at Zegna, in respect of a humanist tradition that is profoundly Italian, we believe that the human being always sits at the centre, in harmony with nature. It is sensitivity and creativity, human qualities par excellence, that get the best out of machines. Without man, everything would be soulless. This project reflects this union of sensibilities, which is also a balance of past and future, of inside and outside, in a cohesive yet multifaceted opus”.
For the virtual pretension the XXX Summer 2021 collection, Sartori returned to the home of the brand – the Lanificio Zegna Wool Mill and Oasi Zegna, both in Trivero, Italy. Since its inception as a textile mill, Ermenegildo Zegna has had a strong connection with its community and nature. The founder was heavily involved in the local environment and landscape of the town. He even initiated a massive reforestation programme in the surrounding mountains, which is today the 100-square-kilometre Oasi Zegna natural park.
The architecture of the mill and the trees of the park became the backdrop for this year’s catwalk; bringing together nature, man and machine.
A sense of fluidity pervades the collection, both in the shapes and in the choice of colours – clay, cowslip yellows, hydrangea pinks, sienite greys, river stone blues, carabus greens and slate blacks. Volumes are generous. Materials are lightweight yet firm – wool, hemp, raw fibres, linen, paper silk, and papery nappa. We also have #UseTheExisting wools – Zegna’s material upcycling program in which natural discarded materials are reused with the help of innovative processes.
Sartori has experimented with dropped shoulders, lowered collars, and layered forms while expressing functionality – outsized pockets and zips that allow volumes to expand. He explores new hybrid categories that define his vision of Zegna. He cuts outerwear in shirting fabrics and vice versa, allowing the wearer complete freedom of combination and interpretation. Mock turtleneck underpinnings replace shirts under blazers and shirt jackets. The duster coats and the liquid trousers draw an elongated and nonchalant silhouette. Tie-dye prints enrich the layering of colours and textures.
The Lookbook highlights include a casual-chic grey knit with a long neckline that is paired with a clay-coloured trouser and black leather belt. Both are elegantly layered by a light modern trenchcoat. [20] A wide-legged two-piece suit in carabus green is worn with a light blue-green loose-necked polo. [6] A flowing green and gold printed top with generous sleeves is paired with a similarly voluminous pleated pant in navy blue – a combination that shifts all the focus to the top. [5] A hydrangea pink trench coat with a casual rope belt is complemented by a light, printed zippered-shirt and contrasted by a river stone blue trouser. [38] A hydrangea pink single pleat trouser is paired with a coral-on-white printed shirt. [42]
The collection’s accessories and bags commemorate the brand’s 110th birthday by featuring Zegna’s vintage logo, reimagined as a modern icon. Rounded loafers with massive soles and sandals ground the looks.
