Oasi Zegna embodies the profound commitment and eternal legacy of ZEGNA’s linen craftsmanship and the ZEGNA Spring/ Summer 2024 collection was a stunning revelation of this feat. Presented in the blazing heat of the Italian sun at the Piazza San Fedele, the cutting and poignant message — nature will reign supreme — was made more effervescent.
192 bales of linen — equivalent to approximately 10,242 T-shirts — travelled from Normandy to Milan, in an effective display of the amount of effort put into harvesting the material. While that represents a grand total of 3,100 kilograms, ZEGNA’s commitment to embodying the circular ethos of fashion will magically transform these linen bales into the Oasi Lino, and find their way back into the production chain. Each bale in sight is a reminder of this sacred promise to Mother Earth — an overview of the very fortitude that comes with ZEGNA’s central mindset of “L’OASI DI LINO”, or the “lightness of being and behaving”.
Prior to rebranding the esteemed “Ermenegildo Zegna” label, the Italian house has always been clear about its preference for a simple and refined gentleman’s wardrobe. Its tailored suits always commanded a refined kind of poise, but as menswear continually steers toward a new era of suiting, artistic director Alessandro Sartori’s helm finds a new system in the embrace of the casual and the convenience — rewriting the very codes that pillar the wardrobe of modern power dressing.
“It’s the idea of the uniform that prompts non-uniformity. The suit as matching jacket and trousers no longer applies. Today, everything goes with everything, and this frees the customer, who can play with shapes and hues,” says Sartori. “Lines are deceptively simple: we hide functional elements in the construction, bringing texture to the fore. The overall fluidity makes it all look quiet and luxurious, but the tension in the details, the richness of colours and the freedom of infinite combinations suggest it is not quiet at all.”
The Spring/Summer 2024 collection’s looser fits afford more languid movement, with gentler grey, orange and pink hues forgoing the traditional palette of browns, blues, and beiges. The real sight was reserved for the impressive play on linen in the garments. Linen gabardine, linen faille, compact linen knit, compact Blue Flower linen, and satin linen, amongst other fabrics like jute oxford, washi paper, raffia, silk, recycled wool granitè and bonded calf leather, were a simultaneous homage to ZEGNA’s past and a nod to a safer, greener, fashion future.
Once you are done with this story, click here to catch up with our May 2024 issue.
