Alessandro Sartori of ZEGNA Wants To Dress the World in Oasi Cashmere, One Piece At a Time - Men's Folio
Style, Interview

Alessandro Sartori of ZEGNA Wants To Dress the World in Oasi Cashmere, One Piece At a Time

  • By Bryan Goh

Alessandro Sartori of ZEGNA Wants To Dress the World in Oasi Cashmere, One Piece At a Time
In the menswear scene that is becoming known for idiosyncrasies and irony, ZEGNA’s artistic director Alessandro Sartori proves that a commitment to beauty, innovation, and sustainability can produce the biggest hype.

When I look at what different Houses are doing, I can see tropes: the eccentric Wes Anderson characters or Berlin boys. When I look at ZEGNA, however, it’s when what you do becomes believable in a real-life way. I can imagine real-life people — friends, family, colleagues, people on the streets — all wearing it in their own style. Who do you think you are designing for exactly?
When we decided on the rebranding that involved the new logo, imagery, runway collections and even the new store at Paragon, my aim was to create a lifestyle in the luxury segment that responded to a person who did not want to be recognised by a logo or a print.

This person wants to be recognised for their style, which takes longer to be understood — it becomes something consistent once a point is made. The idea was to design a modern, luxurious silhouette for people who want to wear chic products that are refined. They don’t want to be seen but want to be understood instead.

You’re entering a different paradigm if you’re not designing with logos; of course, it makes products more recognisable, but I want ZEGNA to be naturally conceived as a stylish brand.


I read a 2022 interview where you mentioned that previous ZEGNA collections revolved around lightness. In our opinion, it could be lightness in silhouette, fabrication, or even an attitude, but sometimes, lightness can be anchored in a heavy place. Do you put yourself through the wringer in the design process? Or are you generally chill?

I try to be as chill as possible, but when we speak about lightness, we often confuse it with softness. Contrary to its meaning, I like a material that is both soft in its feel and compact enough to keep its shape. When I build a garment, I want it to keep its shape and for customers to look good even when walking.

I never do a fitting with models just standing; I always want them to walk, even if the garments are for a presentation or if someone is wearing it to dinner. I fit, check its silhouette, pin, change details and get them to walk. The fabric has to move well because sometimes, it can stand well, but it doesn’t look the same when one walks.

Alessandro Sartori of ZEGNA Wants To Dress the World in Oasi Cashmere, One Piece At a Time
How do you find time in between the seasons to find inspiration?
My design process changed a lot compared to when I was working through the seasons, designing with my team and opening them with ideas before launching products and doing a show at the end of the season. Today, I see a different paradigm where I like the idea of constantly designing.

I’m always sketching, doing fittings, checking on things, reworking ideas, and attending appointments in the middle, such as meeting publication editors like you. With each project, I think of it like episodes unfolding on a global scale. It’s like a TV show with a showrunner writing its pilot, and I constantly work like that.

I’m working on the next show happening in January, but in the meantime, I’m also working on two new capsule collections and ideas for the following season. It’s like a movie that’s constantly being written. Sometimes, I design products that would fit one segment of the business, but if it doesn’t fit, I hold on to them for the future.

I don’t just start and finish things because it’s a constant process, and I find myself more at ease with this way of working.


Was the inclusion of women in the shows a reaction to women customers buying the menswear? It might be because the previous designs almost treat gender as beside the point. What do you personally think is the reason why they love wearing ZEGNA?
I try to understand how the future’s silhouette could become one for all genders. I don’t design for women, as I only design for men, and that has to be clear. But I like that women could go into their boyfriend’s or brother’s closets and borrow something.

What do you think this future silhouette could be, then?
It’ll be more fluid, conceptual, and easy to combine with the existing pieces, as it’ll have an interesting proportion.

Another thing I noticed was that you might be one of the few designers I can imagine wearing the brand itself. Do you think you put certain parts of yourself in the show?
Always. I always design things I want to wear and put all of myself into the collections. What I wouldn’t wear, however, are specific colours. I’m working on an evening wear collection now, and I would wear most of them but not some because of their colours.

Alessandro Sartori of ZEGNA Wants To Dress the World in Oasi Cashmere, One Piece At a Time
Is this an instinct you have honed over the years, then? The quick decision of what is authentic and believable versus what is the total opposite?
I think it’s a combination of instinct and the know-how from your experiences, but I can tell you that when you’ve arrived at the right point, you immediately understand. You’ll have an object in front of you after you’ve gone through all the processes to get to it, and you’ll know if it’s good.

I never think about a product’s potential sales at that stage. I only think about its beauty and how a man will look wearing it — would he look good, and does it make him feel good?


For Oasi Cashmere, what version of it is a customer buying and what was the R&D process like considering you studied textile engineering?
Oasi Cashmere is a combination of many things. First of all, the brand has a “green mind”, as we have our beautiful Oasi and a family that thinks that sustainability is a state of mind instead of a role they have to take on. It’s not that the company is imposing this on us because we all believe in this philosophy.

I’ve always believed that there are many ways to be sustainable as a brand — recovering waste, not producing so much waste to begin with, or using beautiful materials that have longevity. When we started to work on Oasi Cashmere, I said to myself that if we were to be fully sustainable with its make, we should control the full production chain from its source, the specific fibres used, the journey of the fibre, and the manufacturing process as we wanted to use it across different products like t-shirts, jackets and cardigans.

The final products come from strong R&D, testing and designing, and many fittings and wear tests. A team of designers and myself tested it so extensively that it became a mantra. I’m testing a new shoe, and 39 other people in the company are testing it — and I can also tell you that the process to produce Oasi Cashmere took two and a half years.

Achieving full sustainability is a long journey, and we’re working at the same speed and energy because we know that we want to be the reference for lifestyle luxury.


The Oasi Cashmere collection is a game-changer because it’s visual proof that cashmere doesn’t have to look precious. It can look cool when used to elevate the everyday items we wear. What would you consider the collection as? An extension of the House’s universe? The holy grails of the brand? Everyday classics?
If you’re able to combine elements like extremely high quality and modern design together, then you’re able to do what you say with your question. The collection is an iconic product representing our values through its design, quality and integrity.

When it comes to the cashmere collection of the Su Misura service, it’s perversely posh in an old-world kind of way. Excellently chic and unfaultable luxury: would you consider this something younger customers would take up?
That’s a nice way to put it. It’s a very special service, but think of it this way: which person, more than a partner or a hairstylist, would get so close to you to a point where they can help you look better? Who else would have your measurements, produce one garment for you, and style you in it?

It’s a job we’re doing every day in our styles, and Su Misura is the pinnacle of perfection with its level of personalisation and exclusive materials. It rests at the top of the pyramid, where the possibilities of customisation are endless. You’re able to achieve a level of fashion that is solely yours, and I love this concept.

I think younger customers would love it if they were engaged with it. Normally, you never think about that because you would think that a made-to- measure service is reserved just for suit tailoring, but we do everything from t-shirts to shoes and every other kind of product.


What do you think is the sweet spot between tradition and modernity? What does it look like?
That’s a very interesting question because I frequently speak about this. Normally, traditional fabrics are not moving in a modern direction, and modern products do not have the quality of traditional ones. A super-crafted product will never be shown on the runway, and for men, a very fashionable product that exists on the runway will not be tailored.

ZEGNA is in the middle because we do modern pieces with qualities that’ll make them last for a long time. We are a clash of the two.

Lastly, what are you up to till the next season?
[Laughs] It’s interesting you ask because we have all delayed our plans because of COVID-19 — travels, interviews, meetings — but we’re now restarting our lives at a normal speed. I like this chapter of ZEGNA because I consider it a new beginning with the logo, branding, fibres, and story.

I’m super excited because we’re operating as a start-up, even as a big brand that sees a new potential for menswear that has a lot to do with beauty, innovation, responsibility, inclusivity and sustainability in mind. My goal will be to travel as much as possible to show this work to our friends, partners, and customers.

Once you’re done with this story, click here to catch up with our November 2022 issue!