Not content to weave tasteful, un-shouty ensembles out of Oasi-spun cashmere – the most heavenly of luxury textiles – Zegna is now teaming up with The Elder Statesman (an LA-based brand best known for its satirically expensive cardigans) in order to launch a new collaboration focused around noble fibres in psychedelic hues.
This latest team-up comes on the back of several other collaborative partnerships Zegna has been aggressively pursuing in the fashion space: including those with Fear Of God, Kith and cult sneaker designer Mr. Bailey.
Conceived under the wider umbrella of Zegna’s “fully traceable by 2024” Oasi Cashmere initiative, the collab taps the expertise of Elder Statesman founder/designer Greg Chait – for a medley of looks that embrace the laidback, gently faded-out aesthetic of Southern California.
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Awash in sun-kissed shades of orange, lavender, yellow, red and green; it’s immediately evident this is not the Zegna of Ermenegildo’s era. That colour palette – entirely out of character for the behemoth Italian luxury and textiles house – is given maximum visual heft by the capsule’s choice in fabrics: according to Zegna Group spokespeople, the brand has been working closely with The Elder Statesman to supply the latter’s textile-finishing workshop with finished cloth and yarns that will be unique to this collaboration.
As seen in the recent lookbook, some highlights include wool felt (optimised for the capsule’s cozy, block-coloured bucket hats); garment-dyed corduroys and cashmere handspun with multi-colour yarns so as to resemble a particularly aggressive acid trip.
Described by Alessandro Sartori, Artistic Director at Zegna, as “the very idea of cross pollination”, every level of this capsule has been developed with as much mutual collaboration as possible – in order to ensure an equitable balance between both brand’s core specialisms. “We worked on this completely together,” continues Sartori, “merging our shapes with The Elder Statesman’s distinctive colours and all-pervading spontaneity”.
Shoppers will be able to get their mitts on the capsule beginning this September (exact release date TBA) at Zegna stores around the globe or in limited quantities via The Elder Statesman website.
