June 20, 2020: Titled ‘Nature | Man | Machine’, Ermenegildo Zegna’s Summer 2021 show was an ode to presenting that perfect balance between man and nature, whether it was the way the collection was presented, or the way it was created.
Having started as a textile mill to later encompass clothing manufacturing, Ermenegildo Zegna is seen not just as a provider of resources and raw materials but also as a unique richness of diversities to preserve – hence the Oasi Zegna as a venue for the presentation.
Oasi Zegna is a natural area in the Province of Biella, Piedmont, Italy, created by Mr. Zegna himself, who also founded the factory of the same name in Trivero. He wanted to give his village infrastructures and parks. He also created tourist attractions, such as ski slopes and the Panoramica Zegna, a panoramic road.
The show begins with a walk in the refreshing green environs of Oasi, juxtaposed with the wool mill settings of Zegna’s heritage factory. The presentation soon culminates on the rooftop of the factory with majestic flags flying to mark the occasion.
A sense of fluidity and precision pervades the collection, both in the shapes and the chromatic choices. Volumes are liquid and generous (yet more tailored than the trend of oversized silhouettes of yesteryears), in pastel shades of cowslip yellows, hydrangea pinks, sienite greys, river stone blues, carabus greens and slate blacks. Materials are lightweight yet firm with wool, hemp, raw fibers, linen, paper/silk, papery nappa, and #UseTheExisting wools.
Experimenting with dropped shoulders, lowered collars, layered forms and a poetic sense of functionality expressed by outsized pockets and zips that allow volumes to expand, creative director Alessandro Sartori extends the sartorial quest for new hybrid categories that defines his vision of Zegna. Inspired by the osmosis of different worlds, he cuts outerwear in shirting fabrics, and vice versa, allowing the wearer a complete freedom of combination and interpretation when it comes to items. Cotton silks are used to make easy jackets.
Mock turtleneck underpinnings replace shirts under blazers and shirt jackets. Duster coats and the liquid trousers draw an elongated and casual silhouette. Rounded loafers with massive soles and sandals ground the looks. Tie dye prints enrich the layering of colors and textures.
A seamless communication between man, machine and nature, the show clearly announces the direction Zegna intends to take in the next 100 years.
