In Dubai, Zegna Quietly Redraws the Rules
Review of Zegna Spring 2026 Men’s Fashion Show
By Mackenzie Richard Zuckerman
Zegna leaned into texture, tactility, and a more fluid vision of modern menswear this season — a poised evolution of the house’s tailored codes. Yet beneath the sun-faded surfaces and softened silhouettes, something subtler stirred. In our review, we unpack what that was — and what it may signal for the brand’s next chapter.
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
Textural Softness, Quiet Luxury Ease, & Subtle Playfulness
Set within the transformed Dubai Opera House — temporarily renamed Villa Zegna for the occasion — the collection unfolded with a lived-in, almost sun-kissed energy. Alessandro Sartori’s garments appeared shaped by time and experience: crumpled linens, washed and softened silks, and sun-faded hues that seemed to carry the imprint of both the Italian Alps and the desert. Jackets were stripped of structure, Nehru shirts and pajama stripes added a nonchalant charm, and loafers slid on slipper-soft.
It was an evolution rooted firmly in Zegna’s textile DNA, where fabric innovation remains its sharpest edge.
Moving beyond smooth knits and solid suits, Sartori pushed into new territory with wrinkled checks, jacquard linens, and textured weaves — all the while maintaining a cohesive palette that balanced house signatures with fresh greens and desert tones. Proportions loosened across the board: coats fell oversized and unpadded, accessories embraced softness and subtle branding, and footwear shifted away from sneakers toward leather slip-ons.
The result was a collection that invited wearability and personal interpretation — garments that adapt to life, not the other way around.
This narrative of ease and adaptability was further underscored by the show’s storytelling: a prelude walk through an immersive brand experience, and a client-forward approach that brought 40 U.S.-based customers to Dubai, demonstrating Zegna’s command of both product and positioning.
THE DIRECTION
THE QUOTE
There is a culture of dressing, a proper and insouciant manner to it, which to me captures a peculiar Italian timbre that I want to keep as our signature.
THE WRAP UP
While this was not the most radical reinvention of the Zegna wardrobe, it was a meaningful expansion of it — and a necessary one.
By embracing texture, subtle playfulness, and a looser silhouette, Sartori continued to modernize the house’s luxury codes at a moment when menswear is redefining its own.
The collection’s soft power lay in that very balance: honoring craft and tradition while inviting a new, freer way of dressing.
Whether this marks the start of a larger stylistic shift remains to be seen — but in Dubai, Zegna redrew the rules with a quiet confidence.
