The Path to Individuality, Through Plurality at Zegna
Review of Zegna Spring 2025 Fashion Show
By Angela Baidoo
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
THE THEME
In accepting that no two things are completely alike, Alessandro Sartori’s Zegna is paving the way for the brands sustainable future, an endeavour that grows in importance every season. This new era entails embracing the individuality that will naturally occur from working with, and striving to keep raw materials in their most natural state. And although uniformity is often the given output of luxury fashion, the Zegna customer will buy into the brand aware that no two items – even if they are the same jacket – will be alike, and that is a positive attribute, rather than a sign of sub-standard quality.
This idea was first communicated with todays showspace, like many other designers this season (MSGM, Magliano, Fendi) Sartori used a bare industrialised space to focus in on his collection, but also to host a thought-provoking installation that would tie into something deeper. In this case linen plants flourished from the floor and created a makeshift runway, but simultaneously brought “life to a lifeless place”. As the linen stalks were made from metal, rather than having been transported from the field, the idea of plurality came full circle in man and nature, and man-made nature co-existing.
In developing the key material for this seasons collection, the mill created an innovative ‘wrinkle-free’ linen, and when speaking to The Impression backstage Sartori explained “For the first time we have introduced wrinkle-free linen, it’s the newest treatment from our mill and we are using this linen that is just made for a summer collection [as] there was a sense of freedom that I wanted to express, with the new colours and prints.”
Describing fashion as his lab to experiment in, the subtlety in which Zegna operates often means that the experimentation at play is not always initially evident. But experiment Sartori does, this season with linen as his base. Which, according to the show notes was down to its “Supple and textured, sturdy yet soft, sensual but deliciously rough” properties. A go-to for easeful summer dressing linen has always played a key part in dressing for the season, and for spring 2025 we were shown how it can be manipulated, molded, and formed around the body in folds, drapes, or stiff structures. Silhouettes are soft and easy without giving way to their tailored origins, which may have more to do with the quintessential Italian “insouciant manner…worn by men who play buoyantly with their own appearance.” as outlined in todays notes.
THE BUZZWORDS
Mold-to-fit, linen versatility, generational casting
THE SHOWSTOPPER
Look #23
Experimentation and innovation were on display as linen was utilised in a number of different ways to create fluid and sculptural forms which molded to the wearers bodies, but also allowed for a sense of freedom.
THE DIRECTION
THE QUOTE
I want to make all men look better, and that is why we have this cast, we have 18 year olds and 70 year olds. These people are envisioning modern living, and this makes the Zegna community like family. There is something new in the process too, as before the season we fit on real people from the show, so I didn’t use models. I’m very much about keeping the process on the go, according to how we are living and I like the idea of casting that is fluid, with people who are from many different places, as I want to design for many different people”
Alessandro Sartori, artistic director, Zegna
THE WRAP UP
As with any collection, it is what can’t be seen in a fleeting moment on the runway that truly communicates its value, and as The Impression was invited backstage (or onstage) to take a closer at what Sartori and his atelier had envisioned simply with linen was inspired, as the folding which caused jackets to sit away from the body like sculptures, the high-waisted fluid wide-leg trousers, linen knits which appeared to be knitted in contrasting layers, down to the woven moccasins gave an immediate understanding of the “new grammar” that is being laid down as a sustainable design language, that others in the industry will hopefully emulate.
