CHILLING DETAILS

profile how zegna DOES IT

The century-old menswear brand prospers by exploring what’s new—and reworking what’s old.

By Karen Alberg Grossman

What makes a familyowned and -operated clothing company become an international icon? Ask the professionals at Ermenegildo Zegna. eir company has helped to set the standard of excellence for luxury menswear since 1910, when Ermenegildo Zegna bought his father’s woolen looms and began a clothing business. Always looking to the future, the rm, now in its fourth generation, is much more than elegant suits. It’s one of the planet’s largest fabric producers (with its own sheep farm in New South Wales, purchased in 2014); it’s active in promoting improvements in wool production; it’s a philanthropic titan (beginning with reforestation projects in the 1930s, before such work was fashionable, and now supporting the arts, environmental education and conservation e orts). e people at Zegna are textile innovators and fashion leaders. If you own a certain limited-edition Maserati, you will note that the leather, silk and wool herringbone interior is cra ed of Zegna fabrics.

For fall ’19, Zegna’s textile technology expertise is in full view with entire new categories of men’s apparel. e Achill suit, for example, is made entirely with wool remnants from Zegna’s Achill Farm, discarded during the process of suit making and then remixed and rewoven. ( e facility was purchased as a model farm, largely for research and development purposes. Says Paolo Zegna, chairman of the business: “We want this farm to be transparent, to tell the complete story of a beautiful product.”) Zegna’s high-performance Packaway suit is amazing for wrinkle-free traveling, and its exclusive Techmerino Wash & Go collection can miraculously be machine-laundered. Talk about fabric innovation—Zegna’s recent launches are truly transforming the menswear industry.

Fall ’19 is also a season when formal and casual categories seamlessly blend. Sportcoats have outerwear pockets; shirts become jackets; cargo pants are sartorially designed. Even quilted pu er jackets are constructed in Zegna’s tailoring atelier, acquiring an elevated touch. Full trousers narrow toward elasticized bottoms, and knits are increasingly important. And for your feet, Zegna o ers up bold-soled zippered boots or multi-material sneakers. It’s a season to have fun with fashion.

But beyond fabulous fashion, Zegna’s sustainability and recycling e orts deserve special mention. Under the hashtag #Use eExisting, the fall ’19 collection is cra ed with exclusive wool, cashmere and nylon fabrics created from existing sources via innovative processes. e result is luxurious fabrics that are recycled as well as recyclable. Zegna is also involved in restoring a rundown suburb of Milan. Its e orts will turn a wasteland into a hub for wellness and science, replete with green parks and new residential areas.

Says Zegna creative director Alessandro Sartori: “It is our duty as denizens of this world to live responsibly. I want to do it using the creative means I have at my disposal, which extend from fabric-making to tailoring to producing a fashion show. Everything we do conveys our underlying concept: we do not need to create new from scratch; we can reuse and reinvent the existing, cra ing inventive fabrics out of discarded ones, translating traditional techniques into innovative tailoring, turning an abandoned place into an area of creation.”