While speculation started as soon as Alessandro Sartori revealed last week that he was leaving Berluti, Ermenegildo Zegna announced this weekend that Sartori will take over as artistic director.
The news comes shortly after former Ermenegildo Zegna Head of Design, Stefano Pilati, stepped down from his post last week and now, after five years at Berluti, 50-year-old Sartori will sharpen his scissors with the Italian brand. The designer, who transformed Berluti from a stuffy heritage brand to one of the hottest luxury names in menswear, will now be responsible for all Zegna brands and all creative functions within the brand, and will start work in June showcasing his debut collection for AW17 in January.
“I’ve known Alessandro and his style for many years and I am extremely excited to welcome him back to our group,’ said Gildo Zegna, the group’s chief executive officer, as the news broke. “His talent, creativity, passion and modernity make him the perfect fit to help us take Zegna to the next phase of its development.”
Sartori is equally as enthusiastic. “I want to thank Gildo and the whole Zegna family for this fantastic opportunity. I grew up watching and admiring their creations and their authentic and deep values and I am extremely excited to write with the whole Zegna team the next chapter. I cannot wait to enter in their fabulous archives and to meet their artisans to start working on the new collections”.
Let’s not forget Sartori has history with the Zegna family, as he launched their Z Zegna line as creative director in 2003 before leaving for Berluti in 2011.