On a busy Wednesday night, the Italian luxury brand presented Villa Zegna on the Upper East Side, while Jacquemus, Sacai and Uniqlo hosted evening events as New York Fashion Week got underway.
Inspired by the original family home of brand founder Ermenegildo Zegna and the giant Oasi Zegna nature reserve he developed in the Italian Alps next to the company's headquarters, the elegant presentation was a brilliant way to highlight all the recent news at this dynamic house.
Housed within a beautifully carved stone gallery next to the Guggenheim Museum in Central Park, the installation included artifacts from Ermenegildo's historic visit to the United States in 1938.
Ermenegildo planted more than half a million trees and built a panoramic road connecting the two sides of the mountainous landscape in the area where Oasi Zegna is located, the 100 km2 natural territory in Piedmont, more than 30 times the size of Central Park.
To establish his fabrics in the United States, the world's largest economy, he took an ocean liner to New York to meet with Italian tailors whom he considered the “best ambassadors of Zegna fabrics.” Elements of that visit were incorporated into an elevator that even included his original desk.
The first Villa Zegna chapter was held in Shanghai in May. The second, in New York: focusing on Ermenegildo's American journey, is entitled The Legend of Il Conte.
In 1938, Ermenegildo hosted a gala dinner in honour of professional Italian tailors in America. On Wednesday in Manhattan, Zegna's creative director, Alessandro Sartori, and Ermenegildo's great-grandson, Edoardo Zegna, hosted a dinner with the same menu: Neapolitan ravioli, cicken abrruzze and sorbet with meringue.
Recalling that as a child he admired the family villa and played at the Oasi, Sartori said in a brief speech: “I could not be happier than to be part of the Zegna family today.”
A week-long installation spread over three floors, it includes a multi-sensory presentation of Oasi’s environmental impact and unique recycling processes; a dining room with a beautiful fresco on the ceiling of the natural park; an elegant presentation of its exclusive collections and a private lounge exclusively for select clients. The star of the looks is a series of customised versions of the new “Il Conte” jacket.
The dinners will continue throughout fashion week.
Jacquemus at Nordstrom
The evening began with the opening of a Jacquemus boutique at the Nordstrom men's department store on Broadway and 57th Street.
The 34-year-old French designer began his day by accepting the 2024 Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion from the Museum at FIT, even though Simon Porte Jacquemus is not technically a couturier.
Jacquemus has built a substantial business with his inventive handbags and clutches, which can be seen in both Nordstrom's men's and women's stores. However, judging by his oversized conceptual pieces on display, recent speculation about his possible candidacy for the designer's post at Chanel seems far-fetched.
Uniqlo Lifestyle Clothing
A day after Uniqlo announced the appointment of Clare Waight Keller as its first creative director, the Japanese brand giant unveiled some of its latest ideas for the house. The event took place at Spring Studios and was accompanied by some frankly ridiculous vomit-yellow sake cocktails.
With the sun shining, Lifewear’s fall-winter 2024/25 collection was on display, and it was a hit and miss. Alongside some deconstructed felted wool jackets and sleek knotted sweaters for men, there were new lightweight and clever down vests and cardigans – a key Uniqlo category.
Too often, though, the style evoked a nerd on a desperate date or a Midwestern dentist's daughter: mistakes like cocktails.
Sacai arrives at Bergdorf Goodman to celebrate Bill Cunningham
Hipster fashion brand Sacai celebrated one of fashion's favourite figures, Bill Cunningham, with yet another cocktail.
Specifically, the late photographer's recently discovered photographs of the famous Battle of Versailles, where American and French designers faced off in an epic joint show in 1973. A fashion moment remembered in a photography exhibition in a season that is expected to produce more.
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