Word of the collaboration between Italian designer Ermenegildo Zegna and American streetwear brand Fear of God first arrived last month. It was just another announcement of another luxury brand partnering with a streetwear entity, but this one promised to be different. Zegna’s artistic director Alessandro Sartori worked closely with Jerry Lorenzo, founder of Fear of God, to write a riveting new chapter in menswear, and following the global debut in Paris earlier this week, they’re off to a promising start.
The looks are pretty solid. Rather than just combining logos, Sartori and Lorenzo took the time to conceptualize how best to balance their strengths so that they could deliver a cohesive and unexpected group of looks. There was a visible amount of restraint as a result, from the dark and muted color palette to the general absence of prints, which is the collection’s biggest strength. Deconstructed suits include jackets that only have one-button and no lapel whatsoever, simplifying men’s tailoring with easy-to-wear versatility. There are plenty of layer-able pieces, from turtleneck t-shirts to overcoats to structured button-down shirts in cotton and suede, which stand as strong basic essentials. While the pieces look best together, it’s easy to imagine the separate pieces being integrated into a variety of different wardrobes.
“The collection speaks to our audience just as it does Jerry Lorenzo’s, but we believe it can also appeal to a new client, thanks to the mix of Zegna’s impeccable tailoring and Fear of God’s concept of laid-back luxury,” Sartori said in a statement. “We have worked with great balance, without our ego’s ever surpassing one another, to create a unique new wardrobe. A perfect synthesis of our two souls: clothes to wear at any time of the day in order to feel good. And this is only the beginning, as our conversation has just begun.”
The Ermenegildo Zegna x Fear of God collection will drop in September. Check out the lookbook below.
The cultural pivot from streetwear to suiting is making a notable stride with Ermenegildo Zegna announcing a collaboration with the Los Angeles-based brand Fear of God. Designed over the last year, the collection is scheduled to make its global premiere during Paris Fashion Week next month.
A new take on tailoring is slated to take over menswear as we enter a new decade. Kim Jones and Virgil Abloh have expanded the parameters of what a suit can look like at Dior and Louis Vuitton, respectively, presenting a more romantic and delicate take on tailoring that almost seems like a direct contrast to both their streetwear backgrounds. An Italian designer as admired as Zegna partnering with Fear of God echos this sentiment, finding new ways to elevate conventional men’s pieces while making it accessible to a new demographic — a press release describes the collection, which includes full looks and accessories, as a “cross-pollination between Zegna renowned tailoring expertise and Fear of God’s unique take on modern luxury.”
The Zegna x Fear of God collection will be unveiled on March 2.
This season, Ermenegildo Zegna challenged itself to #UseTheExisting for its Fall/Winter 2020 show. The presentation was conceptualized in collaboration with American artist Anne Patterson and featured a set decorated with thousands of ribbons made from discarded fabrics, further emphasizing the sustainable angle of the collection. Mixed fabrics, both natural and synthetic, were used cohesively on the range of tailored looks and accessories.
“At Zegna, I have the privilege to experiment at every level, from the mix of fibers to the evolved tailoring shapes,” Alessandro Sartori said in a statement. “It is all about reshuffling or hybridizing categories, breaking boundaries in order to explore new territories: this is our new tailoring lexicon. One experimentation leads to the next, in one seamless dialogue, always keeping in mind that our art should always respect the earth. That’s our mission, as both humans and fashion-makers.”
Take a look at some backstage photos from the show below.
Last night in New York City, Ermenegildo Zegna took over an Upper East Side residence for an intimate evening to celebrate the label’s timely launch of its #WhatMakesAMan campaign. Artistic Director Alessandro Sartori and the face of the campaign, Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali, treated a round of socialites, influencers, friends, and guests alike to fabulous cocktails and breathtaking skyline views of the city — last night’s sunset was especially lovely. Sartori and Ali engaged guests with a compelling discussion about the evolution of masculinity in the 21st century, and what the Italian designer has in store next. Check out some pictures from the event in the gallery above.
In a compelling new campaign, Ermenegildo Zegna deconstructs ideas of toxic masculinity to determine #WhatMakesAMan. Starring Academy Award-winning actor Mahershala Ali and artist Nicholas Tse, the new image series is an intimate invitation to discuss and unpack the antiquated and potentially harmful ideas of traditional masculinity.
“This campaign is a platform for discussion – and perhaps some provocation. We recognize that it takes courage to express a new type of masculinity – a masculinity that is, perhaps, different from the idealized versions of masculinity that have existed for so long,” the Italian designer said in a statement. “We believe courage is an essential part of masculinity today. The courage to shatter conventions, but also the courage to embrace risks, accepting that failure may be the result.”
Spring rain is a downer made only worse by drab and frumpy outerwear — we’ve rounded up some of the best performancewear to keep you fresh and dry ahead of summer.
Hunter remains a quintessential presence at music festivals — this light rain jacket is the perfect option for sudden storms during peak festival hours.
Ermenegildo Zegna launched its 5-piece collection of perfumes, with notes ranging from Italian bergamot to a denser Indonesian oud. A nod to the label’s heritage, a few scents are derived from Italian products — iris and bergamot, and another general Mediterranean neroli.
Elegant and polished, each of the perfumes has a distinguished angle. Starting off light, the collection progresses into heavier scents as if going from day to night. While all the scents may be worn throughout the day, there is a particular morning freshness in “Italian bergamot” and peppery exotism in “Madras cardamom” suitable for the night.
Alessandro Sartori, Zegna’s Artistic Director, worked directly with perfumer Pierre Negrin on the first four scents and Marie Salagne on the last scent. Negrin, a photography lover, loves capturing the essence of a product. In fact, he created “Italian Bergamot” from bergamot harvested in Zegna’s private reserve in Calabria. Negrin’s signature is quite tender and very intentional in all his creations. Salagne, on the other hand, is an experimental and edgy Parisian with a defined kick in her creations perfectly wrapping off the Zegna collection.
Ermenegildo Zegna Essenze Eau De Parfum is available at select Zegna boutiques and Bloomingdale’s now.
After revealing their new lookbook at Pitti Imagine Uomo in Florence earlier this month, Ermenegildo Zegna staged its latest show in Milan’s central train station, and the largest in Europe, as a tribute to travel, casual encounters, and diversity. The collection itself is quite the compilation of sorts, including horseback riding caps, meticulously tailored suits, as well as technical outerwear packed with plenty of straps and cuffs for convenience. Most importantly, 25% of the collection is recycled from Zegna factory offcuts and created to be fully recyclable down the line. With many brands naming 2021 the year they will be entirely renewable, Zegna is already making headway in that direction.
Leaving his role as Artistic Director of Berluti—a five year post in which the designer transformed the bespoke shoe brand into one of LVMH’s most powerful labels—Alessandro Sartori joins Ermenegildo Zegna, now creatively overseeing all of the group’s brands. A homecoming, Sartori served as Artistic Director of Z Zegna from 2003 to 2011, launching the young line at Pitti Uomo and then carving out a place for it in the contemporary market. On his new appointment the designer said, “I grew up watching and admiring [the Zegna family’s] creations, and I am extremely excited to write the next chapter. I cannot wait to enter their fabulous archives and to meet their artisans [and] start working on the new collections.” Sartori follows Stefano Pilati, whose last offering for Autumn/Winter 2016 just showed at Milan Fashion Week, and whose own departure is just one of the many shuffling of chairs to shake up the fashion world in recent weeks.
When elusive automative maker Maserati first banded together with Ermenegildo Zegna for an unprecedented and ultra-luxe fashion vehicle in 2013, the in-car experience was forever changed. Now that the rare 100-count collaboration has evolved—with the exclusive mulberry silk interior now available in the carmaker’s Ghibli and Quattroporte Sport sedans—the men behind the movement, Maserati CEO Harald Wester and president of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group Paolo Zegna, reminisce over their ambitious road traveled together.
PAOLO ZEGNA: There are a lot of common points between cars and fashion, especially if we talk about the man that appreciates both.
HARALD WESTER: That man doesn’t want to end up in that sad sea of sameness as everyone else.
Image: courtesy of both brands.
ZEGNA: He is someone that is looking for a good life. He likes nice clothes, he likes traveling, and he likes nice cars.
WESTER: Luxury cars … they aren’t about reason or matter of choice … they have to do with taste. Not just men, but women too. I guess humans in general. They want products to represent the lives that they want to lead. You and I are both a part of that search.
ZEGNA: Maserati is ingrained into our culture here in Italy. The inspiring exhaust note of the engine is like nothing else.
WESTER: Surely your heart beats a little faster when you hear the roar on the street.
ZEGNA: Yes, and I think through working together we’ve discovered that there is a world of history and emotion between the two of us.
WESTER: We share many of the same values.
ZEGNA: There is the element of the Made in Italy spirit and the significance of what that means, in terms of quality-conscious craftsmanship and emotional appeal, that puts us both on top of the things that we each produce. It also links us in culture and history.
Image: courtesy of both brands.
Image: courtesy of both brands.
WESTER: Yes, both companies have very deep roots in heritage, but I think we also understand that the moment someone leans back and relies just on his history alone, he’s dead. You have to push the envelope and go to the next level and challenge the system, even if it’s stupid or has what seems like impossible proponents.
ZEGNA: I wouldn’t call it stupid … but instead, a strange idea. The combination of the two things together—a complicated silk fiber and a luxury car like Maserati—I think it was a surprise.
WESTER: A complete surprise! I wasn’t even honestly aware of the fact that there were men’s shirts made of silk without the classic sheen. I didn’t know this type of fabric could exist.
ZEGNA:Technically, silk is a pretty resistant fiber so that helps, but it was a challenging process because making fabrics for clothing is very different than making textiles to soothe a car. We had to factor in the components of the natural fiber for resistance to light and abrasion from basically everything. We could have put in some nylon, polyester, or synthetic fiber, but we did not want the usual. We felt secure about that.
Image: courtesy of both brands.
WESTER: I remember asking you to give me the best stuff Zegna had when we first started, and when we began the first rounds of testing—with 10% of our standard vibrations and the mechanic pumping up and down up to 50,000 times—the silk ended up looking like Swiss cheese. It was all over the place. I sighed and said, “Well, we tried … but one way or another, we’ll get there.”
ZEGNA: It’s difficult to put into the right words that accurately relay the capacity of our companies to work together—especially for this project. There were so many trials with so many disappointing results, but there was always a strong common goal.
WESTER: Constantly.
ZEGNA:I have always been innately attracted to Italian high-performance automobiles, so when we first started, I definitely had a deeply vested interest.
WESTER: Ah?
ZEGNA: Did you know that I have been driving Maseratis far longer than you have been using Zegna?
WESTER: That is an assumption!
ZEGNA:I’ve already caught three Maseratis in a row. I wonder how many Zegna suits you have?
WESTER: Many. For a long time. Long before we met… long before I even came to Italy.
ZEGNA: Zegna?
WESTER: Fifteen years of Zegna products, which have all stayed in perfect shape since. I can bring them to you if you want to see. But I do have to admit, I used to be so ignorant about fabric. Now obviously that has changed; I love silk and I love what we have done with it with you. Our cars have already had the finest leathers as standard equipment. Now paired with silk, the feeling is indescribable.
ZEGNA:There is great beauty in the technicality of each Maserati car, and the same thing applies to all the components of the textiles inside. It’s the spirit, the story, and the feeling. It would be really hard to find a better combination.
Michael Shannon, Future, Boyd Holbrook, Xavier Dolan, and Shiloh Fernandez star on Essential Homme‘s special five year, five cover August/September 2015 issue.
Image: Essential Homme.
MOST WANTED (pg. 34) features ten must-snag men’s bags from Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane’s Americana silver backpack to a.testoni’s dazzling briefcase. CODE OF CONDUCT (pg. 44) showcases a poised military feeling shared by designers everywhere this season.
Image: Essential Homme.
In NEW ARRIVALS (pg. 56), the latest product collaborations and launches are featured, including Alexander McQueen’s slogan-touting leather goods, 3.1 Phillip Lim’s tin-armored ten-year capsule collection, Cadillac’s collection curated by Nick Wooster, Prada’s street-wear inspired backpacks, and more. SCENE (pg.64) invites you through the best bashes of Fashion Month Spring/Summer 2016.
Image: 3.1 Phillip Lim.
Image: PLAC.
Image: Gucci.
Image: Dior Homme.
Image: KENZO.
Image: YARD.
Selected features include:
CHANGING ACT (pg.70) Recast everyday staples in uncommon roles for a seasonal style shift that is sartorial without any stiffness, featuring FENDI, Tommy Hilfiger, Brioni, KENZO, and many more.
Image: Essential Homme.
GREEN LIGHT (pg. 81) A dominant color of vitality, green flourished across all the Autumn/Winter 2015 runways in various breeds of mighty military and elegant moss.
SON OF A GUN (pg. 84) The boy that couldn’t help it, he said with a dopey grin, peeking out through that filthy rearview mirror, refusing to turn back in Moschino, J.W Anderson, Bottega Veneta, ETRO, and many more.
Image: Essential Homme.
CONVERSATIONS (pg. 98) Maserati CEO Harald Wester and president of the Ermenegildo Zegna group Paolo Zegna reminisce over their ambitious road traveled together.
SUBVERTING THE SUIT (pg. 102) The sweet sincerity of contemporary designer Christopher Shannon.
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL REBELLION (pg. 106) Sculptor and Painter Nick Van Woert and the art of the new.
A MAN’S WORLD (pg. 110) CFDA head Steven Kolb reflects on New York’s first menswear week in over a decade.
Image: Christopher Shannon.
Image: Vincent Dilio.
HIGH FIVE (pg. 114) From 26-year-old movie mastermind Xavier Dolan, currently working on his seventh feature, to Boyd Holbrook, star of Netflix’s “Narcos,” we turned to a team of five men that not only campaign a distinct style but that are also champions in their lives to cover the August/September issue of Essential Homme. Singer songwriter, rapper, and producer Future, supporting actor turned leading man and Prada star Michael Shannon, and the fresh faced Shiloh Fernandez complete the booming batch, who, together, are stealing all the scenes of 2015.
About ESSENTIAL HOMME magazine: ESSENTIAL HOMME is a US-based bi-monthly style source for affluent, successful, and fashion-forward men who are passionate about high quality, high-end luxury fashion. The magazine has a specifically-targeted audience of 133,225, 10% of which is distributed internationally, and is available in all major cities globally. ESSENTIAL HOMME has been published since 2010, and past coverstars include the likes of Michael Shannon, Boyd Holbrook, Adrian Grenier, Tinashe, Dean and Dan Caten, Daniel Radcliffe, Future, Hugh Dancy, Theophilus London, Sullivan Stapleton, Kellan Lutz, and Ian Somerhalder.
