STYLE Edit: Ermenegildo Zegna’s Fall/Winter 2019-2020 collection distils the essence of modern man

It should come as no surprise that Italian design house Ermenegildo Zegna unveiled its Fall/Winter 2019-2020 men’s wear collection at Milano Centrale – Milan Central Station – this year. Spend a few minutes in the storied Art Nouveau/Art Deco building, Europe’s largest railway terminal by passenger numbers, and the breadth and depth of life coming and going in its halls is clear, as are the personal connections made every second of the day.

It is that depth, diversity and connection that label and Ermenegildo Zegna artistic director Alessandro Sartori wanted to capture in its show, as well as in its collection.

Hong Kong singer and actor Nicholas Tse Ting-fung will be spreading the Zegna word this year too, as part of the brand’s #WhatMakesAMan campaign. Tse (along with American actor Mahershala Ali) will serve as an ambassador of sorts in a series of ads designed to stimulate discussion on what a modern man is supposed to be; on who he is, and how he should function in the world.

Tse’s effortless, contemporary masculinity reflects Ermenegildo Zegna’s quest to redefine it for the more fluid, contemporary world, something that brand has been working on for more than a century.

The Fall/Winter line will be defined by its soft formality and responsiveness to our fast, connected lives, reflected in customised jacquards, textured cashmere, leather and paper, urban imagery transformed into abstract visual prints, statement soles on shoes and boots and geometric bags.

Other motifs include jackets with outerwear pockets, convertible shirts, quilted and tailored puffer jackets, and this season’s silhouette is, in Zegna’s words, “effortless and taut”. The look can be dramatically voluminous or lean, long and accented with concealable closures.