ZEGNA’S GLOBAL CITIZENS

Menswear fashion house Ermenegildo Zegna showed Friday evening under the cavernous arched ceilings of Milan’s fascist-era train station, offering cups of mulled wine to warm spectators before the show.

The space in the entrance hall was replete with symbolism. Thousands of commuters and travelers rush through each day. But the hall’s mezzanine was also used as a way station for thousands of migrants who had arrived by sea in the south and were making their way to northern Europe from 2013-2015.

Designer Alessandro Sartori seemed to have both in mind, writing that he chose the venue as “a place of arrivals and departures, but also integration and acceptance of diversity.”

The collection aimed at Sartori’s vision of a “multicultural generation of global citizens” combined classic suits, sportswear and military detailing. For the traveller, the looks were finished with easystriding footwear including Zegna’s first sneaker, called Cesare.

A purple suit closed slightly asymmetrically, the tight silhouette completed with a riding cap and a leather bag with Army-surplus volume. Cropped puffer jackets and rich pile hoodies added volume over slim trousers. An oversized plaid notched-lapel bomber jacket paired with matching cargo trousers gave a neat daytime look. Military detailing included ribbed knits, calf straps and a touch of camouflage.