Conventional Cool

Zegna’s Alessandro Sartori reimagines the Italian brand while celebrating its heritage.

Zegna’s spring/summer 2019 collection, launched at the Mondadori headquarters outside Milan

Alessandro Sartori is in the process of reinventing Ermenegildo Zegna. As artistic director of the illustrious Italian menswear brand – a post he’s held since 2016 – he’s been charting a new course for Zegna, one that maintains the brand’s traditional values while reflecting the needs of the 21st century man. “We need to keep changing to be the same,” he explained last November, when he came to Lebanon to highlight the brand’s fall/winter 2018-19 collection and introduce the dazzling spring/summer 2019 line.

Sartori was originally artistic director of Z Zegna, the label’s more casual and sporty line, a post he held from 2003 until he left the company to join Berluti in 2011. During his five-year tenure at Berluti, he transformed the elite cobbler into a men’s lifestyle brand, adding points-of-sale across the globe and creating a bespoke silhouette for the brand. In 2016, he exited Berluti and re-joined Ermenegildo Zegna, as artistic director across all Zegna brands, most notably the three main menswear collections: Couture, Su Misura (madeto-measure) and Z Zegna. “I came back because Gildo [Gildo Zegna, CEO of the group] wanted to develop a new journey for the brand, to turn the three lines into one big brand and be the biggest player in men’s luxury.”

While reimagining the Zegna brand was one of the reasons Sartori decided to return to the Zegna fold, he also did so because the company offers values and an environment few others can match. “For a designer to have the full equipment, the full kitchen space, is very interesting and inspiring,” Sartori said. “We design our own fabrics, we have our own farms. We were the first to have a Vicuña wool license in Peru. And we have our bespoke atelier and our stores, of course.”

And when it comes to company values, Sartori explains that Zegna’s mission, “to keep alive the idea that product quality can only flourish where there is a ‘culture of beauty,’ a culture that must also respect the environment and local communities,” is something of the utmost importance to him, a path he is proud to follow.

In honor of Sartori's Lebanon visit last November, the ground floor entrance to the Aïshti Foundation was transformed into a fashion wonderland, highlighting some of the key looks from Zegna's winter offerings and from each of the three lines. The backdrop was a very autumnal scene, complete with fall foliage, bare trees and cool-weather flair, in a nod to the collection, which this time around was inspired by Oasi Zegna, the nature reserve around the company's base in Northern Italy. A veritable ode to nature and fashion in winter, the display featured luxurious overcoats, jackets, sweaters, sweatpants, shirts and sneakers in colors that ranged from gray and snow white to earthen brown and leafy green– virtually every piece you need for a striking yet practical wardrobe.

For spring and summer 2019, Sartori took Zegna into a more playful direction, one that captures the carefree feeling of the warm-weather season with sun-drenched colors like olive green, pink, yellow and various shades of blue. He said that the main inspiration for the collection came from the Mondadori headquarters outside Milan designed by legendary Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. Bold, sinuous and sensually curved, the structure is a modernist marvel built in 1968 and featuring rhythmic but differently sized arches. Mondadori’s perennial elegance served as a touchstone for Sartori, who sought to infuse his spring/summer collection with the same playful yet timeless touch – he even held the Zegna runway show at Mondadori, using the building as a backdrop for the event.

Alessandro Sartori, artistic director of Ermenegildo Zegna

As far fashion is concerned, our clothes communicate a constant message"

Some collection highlights include loosefitting pants, either with stripes or checks, slightly oversized blazers with bold prints and cardigan-inspired sleeveless tops with zip-up fronts. The XXX logo, first launched in 2016, dramatically adorns various pieces of the collection. “Visually, XXX is now the logo of Zegna Couture,” Sartori said. “And the logo is here to stay.”

Always at the forefront of technical innovation, Zegna last season introduced its first suit in the label’s trademark Techmarino material. “Techmarino washand-go is very special,” said Sartori, while professing his love of fabric. “It’s pure wool without chemicals, machine washable and you don’t need to iron it.

Alessandro Sartori in the Zegna atelier

Details from Zegna’s spring/summer 2019 collection

MONDADORI IS A MODERNIST MARVEL BUILT IN 1968

Backstage at Zegna’s spring/summer 2019 runway show at the Mondadori headquarters outside Milan

You just hang it out to dry and then wear it.” For summer, Sartori created jersey knit pieces in Techmarino, pushing Zegna into tech fashion territory. “As far as fashion is concerned, our clothes communicate a constant message,” said Sartori. “But Zegna also conveys a social message. We create the best fabrics while taking care of the community and the environment.”