ZEGNA unveiled its Summer 2026 collection with a “Villa Zegna” takeover at the Dubai Opera this week. It was a historic occasion, as it was the first time that the house had presented a collection outside of Milan Fashion Week.
The presentation brought together the heritage of the Italian fashion house and the desert landscape, creating an immersive setting that connected Trivero’s Oasi Zegna with the cultural vibrancy of Dubai.
Set to a live performance curated by James Blake, the concept pays homage to the founding ethos of Ermenegildo Zegna, who in 1910 envisioned Oasi Zegna as a philosophy of harmony between clothing and people.
Artistic Director Alessandro Sartori described the collection as being marked by a tactile immediacy and visual spontaneity, shaped by the interaction between the garments and their wearers.
He referred to a key image that inspired the collection: a chair strewn with casually discarded clothes, evoking a life lived with intensity and personal rhythm. “There is a culture of dressing, a proper and insouciant manner to it which to me captures a peculiar Italian timbre that I want to keep as our signature,” Sartori said.
The collection focused on loose, deconstructed silhouettes. Jackets were rendered as light as shirts, while Nehru styles and long shirts blurred traditional categories. Signature looks included tailored shorts under summer coats, weightless shirting suits in striped fabrics, and deconstructed blazers with low-button fastenings. The garments appeared washed and crinkled, mimicking the effects of sun and heat on fabric.
Colour palettes combined soft tonal hues such as bianco Oasi, mastice and burro di montagna with brighter accents including felce, ciclamino and barolo. Textures ranged from ultralight poplins and sanded hemp to knitted leather and jacquard-patterned materials, underlining ZEGNA’s commitment to innovative fabric making.
Accessories complemented the relaxed yet refined tone, including soft moccasins, slippers, oversized bags and wraparound sunglasses.
