An often-overlooked quality in the fashion world is repetition. To not be afraid of it but to embrace it is an oxymoron for an industry that craves the new at all costs. Alessandro Sartori is a seasoned international designer now who has put in his time at LVMH while he was helming Berluti – even while he thought he was interviewed for something else – and since his return to Zegna he has become an activist for sustainability which he has made leitmotiv of his work as artistic director. He can afford to repeat himself as he understands the branding equity it creates. He brought a piece of the Oasi Zegna to a giant space – fitting his ambition – at the Fiera in Milan where he built a cashmere mountain in the vicuña color which has become the brand’s signature.

British cult singer James Blake devised a soundtrack for Sartori which delivered for this beautiful collection high on emotion and fabric innovation. Sartori has some very distinct design signatures and color codes which he keeps on repeating and repeating to usher in this new era of men’s wear. He easily bridges tailoring, outerwear and workwear so it does not seem like different categories but one universe. The silhouette is boxy which becomes the noble usage of his fine fabrics and his signature giant pockets on his garments are immediately recognizable now. Sartori thinks and designs big.