Zegna, ode to silhouettes for SS25 with Mads Mikkelsen on the catwalk

It's a question of silhouette. In summary, this is the meaning of the collection that Alessandro Sartori designed for Zegna spring summer 2025. But the work of the creative director is as always a careful stratification of inspirations, techniques and knowledge.

The mood is what now successfully characterizes the brand, a transformation of the formal into something that is not informal, to give life to an enveloping elegance, relaxed yet precise in every detail. Practical development starts from two fundamental aspects for Alessandro Sartori , materials and people. That Sartori pays attention to fabrics is not surprising considering his studies in textiles, but the way in which he works on them in close relationship with those who will actually wear his garments is fascinating. «For a series of reasons, we have found a position on the market that works well but with a very heterogeneous audience» , explains the designer backstage, «which is why the presence of non-professional wearers of different ages in the show was significant» . Instead of the usual fashion show timing, the casting began last October and in reality Sartori and his team had already met several times over the past few months with those who went on the catwalk today. «We decided to build our language starting from them. At the beginning of the season we draw a lot, after which we use the most important materials, in this case canvas, camel hair, raw linen and Japanese cotton, as canvases in raw colours with which to build the silhouettes that we then try on men aged 20 and 60 years of age. We bring them from the different parts of the world they live in and observe how they react to what they wear. Since we are not used to acting as models, we can immediately see if they feel at ease and this helps us understand if we are going in the right direction." A direction made of straight lines, perfect for embracing different male types, but also for those, among the ladies, who would like to go around dressed in Zegna (according to research carried out by the brand, 11% of purchases are made by women. Many will be gifts or purchases for their partners/children/husbands, but it is a fact that Sartori's vision also attracts the female audience, so much so that there was a female share on the stage). Deeper pockets than normal to allow for casual gestures. Of wide but never floppy trousers, which rest on moccasins so deconstructed that they can fold in on themselves. How unstructured the jackets are, not in the construction similar to Zegna's typical tailoring, but in the choice not to double them, even when it comes to leather.