Bal Harbour

Zegna's campaign to open conversations about contemporary masculinity goes hand-in-hand with its commitment to sustainability as it celebrates its 110th anniversary. BY SARA ROFFINO Men of the Moment AMONG THE SEISMIC CULTURAL shifts of 2020, the redefinition of gender and its attendant conformities will shape decades, if not centuries, of life to come. And as our identities evolve, so too do our aesthetic and sartorial preferences—a fact that makes Ermenegildo Zegna's longstanding commitment to both sustainability and style particularly apt for this moment. e iconic menswear house, based in the northern Italian Piedmont region, celebrates its 110th anniversary this fall with a look at the legacies that shape us and the ones we are leaving for future generations. Since its founding in 1910, Zegna has been steadfast in its inquiries into manhood, masculinity and the relationship between man and nature. e seeds of the Oasi Zegna nature preserve were planted with 500,000 trees in the 1930s; today the 62-square-mile forest brings families and hikers to its trails and programming year-round, while the house's #UseeExisting campaign celebrates the use of preexisting fibers in each season's designs as part of the Zegna vision toward zero waste. "#UseeExisting fabrics help us apply our sustainable ethos to products. Guided by our motivation for preservation, we show responsibility towards people, community and geographies," explains Zegna Artistic Director Alessandro Sartori. Fans of the house can now purchase engraved wooden hearts, made from trees that have fallen naturally or have been cut down for safety, as tokens of love for the land—even if they can't make the journey there themselves for now. Of course, efforts toward sustainability would see little traction without a simultaneous exploration of the ways we perceive ourselves and the men we love—which is where Zegna's #WhatMakesAMan platform comes in. Established with the launch of the Fall 2019 collection, #WhatMakesAMan has spent the last year examining the forces that shape the contemporary man. Now, Zegna is turning that vision toward the future in hopes of offering space for new practices and priorities for tomorrow's men. "Masculinity is a state of mind," explains Sartori. "What makes a man is the dignity and openness to accept and embrace the contradictions of life, to evolve day by day, being truthful to oneself, endlessly changing one's perspective and attitudes." As 2020 turns out to be a year far different than what anyone could have imagined, it's an ability to change one's perspective and attitudes that creates an openness to the possibilities of the future. "We recognize that it takes courage to express a new type of masculinity—a masculinity that is, perhaps, different from the idealized versions of masculinity that have existed for so long," says Sartori. "With a deep respect for this courage, Zegna, a brand rooted in tailoring and fine craftsmanship, is also embracing an idea of masculinity that is fluid, sensitive and unequivocal." Such a vision is exactly what the world needs right now. A look from the Fall collection, which incorporates pre-existing materials as part of Zegna's #UseTheExisting campaign. IMAGE COURTESY OF ZEGNA 70 BAL HARBOUR

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