Stefano Pilati had architecture on the mind when drawing the lines of his third collection for Italian menswear monolith Zegna. The show began quite literally with models pegged like nails into a raw cement structure and then moved smoothly into Pilati's fashion fixation with space. Graphic lines were key - both in terms of the designer's fine cutting on flattened jackets or pleat-front trousers, as well as his choice of textiles that buzzed with bold striping. But like most of the things this gifted designer does, a basic theme quickly became beautiful. The stripes, for example, were crafted from sewn-on strips of fabric that flapped like window shades over a sweater. And three differently-scaled stripes were melanged together in a soft grey mix of jacket, pant and shirt, chicly set off by a gentlemanly silk neck scarf. In the end, though, Pilati's main point centred around tension: double-faced cashmeres in inky hues of navy and black were cut into tailored pieces rather than knits; suspenders, longer jackets and exaggerated cuffs all brought a retro, dandified air to the hyper modern looks, and pillars of comfort - from tennis shoes, taffeta blousons and anoraks - all comfortably snuggled into a relaxed formality that Pilati is so quickly establishing at this venerable men's house.
Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
