Ermenegildo Zegna Unveils Final Chapter of ‘Defining Moments’ Campaign
MILAN — Ermenegildo Zegna unveils today the final chapter of its “Defining Moments” campaign, directed by Academy Award-nominee Luca Guadagnino.
Called “All the World’s a Stage,” the campaign comprises three short films featuring Boyd Holbrook, known for his role in Netflix’s “Narcos”; “Moonlight” actor André Holland, and William Chan, actor, singer and global face of Ermenegildo Zegna XXX.
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The campaign captures each character getting ready in the morning. “It’s an intimate moment, when you think about the day ahead, what you want to wear,” artistic director Alessandro Sartori told WWD. “They are different from one another, but complementary at the same time, with a shared stylistic identity.” Sartori has been championing diversity and integration for some time now. In January, he staged the brand’s fall 2019 show at Milan’s Centrale railway station because, he said at the time, it was “a place of connection. We liked the idea of a big hub where people are coming and going, where we connect diversity, different stories, but most of all, human beings.”
At the same time, Guadagnino “represents the pinnacle of Italian style, strength and narrative,” Sartori said of the director of “I Am Love,” “Call Me By Your Name” and “Suspiria.” In fact, Sartori in 2016 started working with Guadagnino on the latter movie, collaborating on the costumes for Tilda Swinton as the psychoanalyst Dr. Klemperer. Sartori enthused about the experience. “We worked very well together. I adore his narrative, his movies and his aesthetic sense is incredible. He has style and good taste, and he has such knowledge of fashion and its codes. This offer [to work on “Defining Moments”] came naturally.”
The campaign is filmed between Milan, at the beautiful 15th-century Casa degli Atellani, the modern CityLife complex, and the Italian lake city of Como.
The three characters and their choices allow the Italian men’s wear giant to show the versatility and wide product range from the more casual designs seen on Holbrook to the Su Misura, sartorial looks chosen by Holland, while Chan opts for the Ermenegildo Zegna XXX blend of tailoring and streetwear — all representative of the group’s customers, the designer said. “It was all natural, their choices felt authentic,” he added.
Sartori was particularly satisfied with the “Defining Moments” campaign, first launched for the spring 2017 season. “I believe the level of engagement was really special, and it represents one of the most important chapters in our communication, through the conversation between different generations, who share the same approach.”
The photos of the campaign are also by Guadagnino. “He is an exceptional photographer, and if you watch his films, you can see how incredible the photography is. He studies every frame at length — he is a very, very active, checking all the details.” Sartori was also impressed by how Guadagnino makes changes on the way to achieve the best result. “We prepared a script and worked on the set, but then everything came naturally — he can add different layers, he explores, opens doors, there is constant research for perfection.”
Guadagnino’s “Defining Moments” films will be released starting today on zegna.com, and Zegna’s global social channels, including additional behind-the-scenes content.
Sartori previously paired Javier Bardem and Dev Patel, photographed by Craig McDean for Ermenegildo Zegna’s spring 2018 campaign. That was the third chapter of the brand’s “Defining Moments” multichannel project, which first saw Robert De Niro with McCaul Lombardi and photographed by Francesco Carrozzini. For fall 2017, and the second campaign, De Niro was flanked by French choreographer Benjamin Millepied, the founder of the LA Dance Project and the former director of the Paris Opera Ballet.
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