Stefano Pilati announced as Head of Design at Ermenegildo Zegna

With his assured take on contemporary luxury, Stefano Pilati is a fashion force to be reckoned with. The designer, who took the creative director helm of Yves Saint Laurent in 2004, has dexterously steered the direction of the classic brand back to its French roots. He left YSL in March this year, and today, after months of speculation, it has finally been announced that he is to join the Ermenegildo Zegna group fold. Effective 1 January 2013, Pilati will be head of design at Ermenegildo Zegna, as well as creative director of Agnona, the Group's luxury womenswear and accessories brand.
A Tom Ford recruit at YSL, Pilati took control of the company after Ford resigned. Through the years, Pilati has often been ahead of the curve, sending out new ideas into a market that has not always been quite ready for them. Towards the end of his tenureship at YSL, he had learned, and his timing becoming more and more impeccable with each collection. His swan song for the brand's A/W 2012 collection earned him a standing ovation.
Pilati grew up in Milan. He started out as a fabric specialist and, after spells at Cerruti and Armani, arrived at Prada in 1995, before Tom Ford took him in to YSL in 2000. Stubborn and cerebral, Pilati takes design seriously, with an unmatched sense of material and form. Returning to Italian fashion with his post at Ermenegildo Zegna, there is little doubt he will be a dynamic vision to a brand already rich in tailoring and material innovation.
Pilati's appointment marks a new era for the group, which just last year welcomed former Jil Sander head of menswear Paul Surridge to another member of the Zegna family, Z Zegna. Surridge, who made his creative director debut for the younger, more fashion-forward brand's A/W 2012 collection, is profiled in our October issue (W*163). To see how Surridge is bringing a slick, fuguristic edge to the Italian tailoring house, pick up a copy of the issue - on sale from 13 September.
Jack Moss is the Fashion Features Editor at Wallpaper*. Having previously held roles at 10, 10 Men and AnOther magazines, he joined the team in 2022. His work has a particular focus on the moments where fashion and style intersect with other creative disciplines – among them art and design – as well as championing a new generation of international talent and profiling the industry’s leading figures and brands.
-
The Arbor House brings quiet minimalism to a suburban Aberdeen site
The Arbor House by Brown & Brown is a low-energy home in suburban Aberdeen that brings calm and minimalism to its sloped site
By Ellie Stathaki • Published
-
De Padova and Paul Smith bring colour and character to the home
De Padova and Paul Smith announce the ‘Everyday Life’ collection of furnishings and home accessories
By Simon Mills • Published
-
New Porsche crest hones the lines and forms of the famous German automotive brandmark
The updated Porsche badge, part of the brand’s 75th anniversary year, subtly reshapes every element to keep the logo current in the age of electrification
By Jonathan Bell • Published
-
Standout men's suits for stepping into spring
Stylish men's suits for springtime events, including lightweight, naturally hued styles by Loro Piana, Brunello Cucinelli and Bottega Veneta
By Laura Hawkins • Last updated
-
Tailored suits: make a style statement in a smart jacket
Smarten up your act with a selection of elegant men's jackets, whether your err towards check, pinstripe or tuxedo for your tailored suit
By Laura Hawkins • Last updated
-
A room with a view: fashion designers' line of sight
From Manolo Blahnik to Margaret Howell, we've invited fashion designers to document by hand what they can see from their work desk or window, be it a view of a verdant garden landscape, or an urban snapshot of baroque architecture. They might just inspire you to work on a self-isolation sketch of your own.
By Laura Hawkins • Last updated
-
Ermenegildo Zegna asks: what makes a man?
By Dal Chodha • Last updated
-
A new fix for Ermenegildo Zegna, Italian fashion’s quiet revolutionary
By Josh Sims • Last updated
-
Best in shows: our standouts of the spring/summer 2018 collections
Photography: Melaine + Ramon. Fashion: Isabelle Kountoure and Jérôme André. Writer: Laura Hawkins
By Laura Hawkins • Published
-
Lighten up: Ermenegildo Zegna weighs in with a travel-friendly collection
By Nick Vinson - Art Direction • Last updated
-
On the map: artist William Kentridge’s tapestry for Ermenegildo Zegna’s London store
By Amy Serafin • Last updated