What makes a man?

Ermenegildo Zegna’s latest campaign focuses on masculinity

Ermenegildo Zegna’s #WhatMakesAMan campaign, which features Mahershala Ali and Nicholas Tse, seeks to encourage an open conversation on this topic. This campaign is a platform for discussion — and perhaps some provocation.

The question of “what makes a man” has no one simple answer. Ermenegildo Zegna sees the notion of masculinity as one that is a state of mind, not a set of given rules. Men have been coming to terms with their inner weaknesses and strengths and are willing to take risks to embrace their own view of what masculinity is, even if this means going against traditional notions of what it means to be a man.

Ali and Tse are two strong men who are powerhouses in their respective fields. Ali won Best Supporting Actor Oscars for his roles in Green Book and Moonlight. Tse is a singer, songwriter, actor, entrepreneur and chef. His awards include Best Actor in the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards for his role in The Stool Pigeon. Since his acting debut, Tse has made nearly 50 movies. His cooking talent received recognition from the world’s most authoritative gourmet guide, Michelin. In 2016, Tse was honoured with the “Friend of Michelin” award, the first in the world.