In 1963, Ermenegildo Zegna, the Founder, established the Wool Trophy Awards in Australia to support woolgrowers in their pursuit of the finest wool in the world. From the extra fine fleece, an extraordinary thread is spun every year, out of which the lightest, softest, most exquisite fabrics are woven. Vellus Aureum is, today, the name of this jewel in the ZEGNA crown of wool textiles. It refers to the mythical feat of Jason and the Argonauts: the quest for the Golden Fleece, which was represented as a winged ram. For ZEGNA, Vellus Aureum stands for the pursuit of the extraordinary: a baton that keeps being passed from one generation to the next, both as an entrepreneurial ethos and a signature of style. To date, the Vellus Aureum world record for a single wool fleece was reached in 2023 with a fineness of 9.4 microns. The new show and collection are an homage to this all-encompassing mindset. The soft hills covered in the greenest grass upon which the models meander recall the greenery and the scale of the Australian landscapes, their sinuous lines a symbol of continuity between man and nature, as well as a connection between worlds and crafts that are geographically distant, and yet connected. That’s what this new chapter of the ZEGNA reset ultimately fosters: another look at the roots that is respectful in spirit and free in interpretation, with an unmistakably Italian flair.
Fashion, for Artistic Director Alessandro Sartori, is both a creative and a behavioral matter. In the singular mix of ways of doing and ways of wearing lies an endless quest for betterment, a responsible gaze, the continuity between innovation and tradition. Every collection is not only an addition to the path that’s already been laid, but also a way to give a new meaning to what has been done, to explore a moment of the story and evolve the whole of it. This season, the original wardrobe of Ermenengildo, the Founder, is on the mind not only for Vellus Aureum, but also for the shapes he favored, which directly inspire items and constructions. “How clothes, personal history and attitudes merge is focal for us – says Alessandro Sartori – In this collection items are nonchalantly chosen and spontaneously mixed recounting an encounter of generations in the name of Italian style. The man I have in mind has raided a wardrobe in which pieces have been collected over the decades, for their emotional and material value. Working with washed wools and Vellus Aureum we have been able to transfer lived life into the garments. There is something quintessentially “Torinese” to this collection, in the cultured attitude the shapes suggest and the insouciant manner they are worn, which is a particular way of being Italian”.
The silhouette is deconstructed, volumes are enveloping, proportions are rethought, with macro patterns and macro donegal motifs, culled from the library of tradition, underlying the play of proportions. Deconstructed blazers have low, two-button closures; oversized coats with cashfur collars stop at the knee; blousons are roomy, with lapels or stand-up collars and elasticated waists. Knitwear is a must of the season. Details entice gestures: deep v-necks expose shirts that are neatly layered one on top of the other; pockets are cut diagonally and low slung, to shove hands inside; chunky jumpers and cardigans are tucked inside high-waist trousers. The notchless shirt from spring is now made of knit; cashmere and cotton corduroy is the cloth of sturdy yet soft suits. Washed Oxford suits look like they had another life. The iconic Il Conte jacket continues to evolve, and is presented in shearling, as a gilet, in a chore Oasi Cashmere jersey version. Loafers with thick soles, tidy eyeglasses, soft shoulder bags highlight the slouchy attitude. The palette is a tonal mix of neutral hues of fossile, ginepro, dark foliage, serra, castoro, Gattinara red, and falesia with notes of Sessera, arnica, giglio montano, terracotta and accents of nero opaco. Textures are tactile and dense, yet soft: wool cashmere, cashmere cotton corduroy, wool mohair cover, flannel wool, Oasi Cashmere.
With Vellus Aureum as a crest, style and substance spin a fine transgenerational family thread.
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Vellus Aureum zegna ZEGNA Winter 2025
