With its Outdoor Capsule, the heritage brand moves into luxury leisurewear
In partnership with ZEGNA
Words by THE C MAGAZINE EDITORS
A lot has been happening in the world of Zegna this winter. Alongside a new logo and a new Zegna Lab in Manhattan’s SoHo, the 111-year-old Italian brand is not only innovating, it is carving a graceful turn into luxury leisurewear via a slate of collaborations with some of the world’s finest outdoor brands.
The Zegna Outdoor Capsule is designed for customers who like nothing more than the clean air, sublime views and sense of freedom afforded by being on a mountaintop. The capsule includes puffer jackets, sweaters, technical trousers and caps, and on the performance side it has trail-running shoes created with La Sportiva, a pair of skis made with the technical expertise of Zai, a robust helmet designed with KASK and a sleek water bottle with SIGG. Brought together, they make a complete wardrobe and accessories for a life in the great outdoors. These items were designed to empower the Zegna customer not only to take on the elements in their practice of winter sports but to rediscover nature in its rawest, most primeval form.
Zegna’s roots lie high up in the Piedmontese mountains of northern Italy, where Ermenegildo Zegna started his fabric business in 1910, inspired by his surroundings. In turn, the Outdoor Capsule is inspired by the 232 road, which winds through the Oasi Zegna, a 38-square-mile reserve of untouched nature in the same region that is open to the public.
Evolving tailoring and ready-to-wear into luxury leisurewear is no mean feat. But it is the path chosen by artistic director Alessandro Sartori as he combines his expertise in design and garment construction with the finest technical fabrics to take on the elements — all while staying true to the house codes he has instilled across his career-defining relationship with the family-owned brand. As he resets the very idea of the brand, he is putting practicality and pragmatism front and center, homing in on innovation with purpose. The sustainable fabrics used in the capsule reinforce the brand’s nature as an ethical and responsible luxury company for the 21st century.
The four collaborations are worthy of closer attention. Nearly 100 years ago, La Sportiva was founded on leather boots for lumberjacks and farmers toiling in the Dolomites. Now it produces boots and shoes for outdoor pursuits including hiking, rock climbing and mountaineering. With La Sportiva, Zegna has prepared the breathable Air-mesh uppers for trail-running shoes designed for off-road paths and endurance athletes.
Alongside the engineers at the Italian brand KASK, Zegna has created a version of the Piuma-R ski helmet for the aesthetically conscious aficionado of snow sports, one who prefers not to compromise on style when it comes to safety. With Zai, the Swiss company known for creating the haute couture of ski, Zegna has created an elegant, robust all-terrain ski; and with SIGG, another Swiss company, it has created a sleek aluminum water bottle ready for all of these active pursuits.
The Zegna Outdoor Capsule collection is available in the Beverly Hills, Palo Alto and Costa Mesa stores. Zegna.com
December 3, 2021
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