Zegna's Malibu retreat for the SS27 collection Elegance on the shores of the Pacific
On Malibu Pier, with the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop, Zegna presented last Saturday its SS27 collection in a moment that seemed perfect for telling the idea of summer. Alessandro Sartori brought to California the concept of Villeggiatura, that is, the Italian tradition of temporarily transferring one's existence elsewhere for an entire season, without ever abandoning one's way of being. Not a simple vacation, but a forma mentis that transforms free time into a new way of existing.
Seeing the looks that walked the runway, one immediately perceived the fluidity of the proposal. Sartori designed a vertical and relaxed silhouette, with garments that follow the body without constricting it, allowing freedom of movement and authentic comfort. Everything revolves around irregular stripes, which flow on the fabrics like a nonchalant melody, giving rhythm to the entire wardrobe. The artistic director reiterated that every creation is born first of all from the materials which, when it comes to Zegna, contain living textures, patterns that evolve through small details, threads that tell stories of craftsmanship pushed toward the future. Among the most interesting were the raw silk gabardine, washed hemp, Oasi linen, bouclé sponge, seersucker and nappa in which a certain number of soft shirts were made, also proposed in nubuck, silk or crocodile, combined with sartorial bermuda shorts, creating that effect of lived-in elegance typical of days spent in villeggiatura.
The coordination of colors and the evoked imagery did not overshadow the individual products, always the highlights of the brand’s collections. The blazers with hidden martingales that allowed tightening or leaving the line softer returned after the winter collection, as did the multifunctional double-breasted jackets. Essential overshirts, light and precise knits, leather anoraks and bombers with nautical inserts reinterpreted in a luxurious key added further layers that built the intellectual architecture of the looks.
At the center of the collection stood out the sahariana jacket, proposed both in the classic version with belt and as a short overshirt, perfect for dressing relaxation without giving up shape. Pullover and sponge trousers, duster coats worn nonchalantly over bermuda shorts, accessories such as very soft moccasins, capacious nubuck bags, square sunglasses and silk foulards completed the image of a man who moves with confidence between sea, sun and different geographies. Above all, the colors evoked an afternoon spent by the water: aquamarine, wave and algae tones mixed with more intense touches of teak, madrepora and flag, balanced by warm neutrals like shell and dune, with a muted black giving depth.
Sartori explained his desire to overcome obsolete categories to embrace a more liquid life, while maintaining solid roots in Italian classics. In this sense the collection appears cosmopolitan, open, but deeply recognizable as Zegna with its practical yet sophisticated approach to tailoring. The show was also an opportunity to renew the brand’s commitment to the environment: by supporting the California State Parks, Zegna ideally connected this Californian runway to the Oasi created over a century ago in Italy, confirming that nature remains a central element of their universe.
After the presentation on the pier, the experience continued more intimately at the Chateau Marmont. Transformed for the occasion into VILLA ZEGNA, the legendary hotel became a private club accessible by invitation only. For a few days it hosted clients, brand friends and personalities in an atmosphere suspended between the Seventies and the present: archive projections, welcoming lounges, pool rituals with an Italian newsstand and discreet characters that animated the spaces. A natural extension of the collection, where Mediterranean hospitality met the Los Angeles landscape, making the event something more alive and memorable than a simple fashion show.
