This season, Zegna stepped away from their usual Milan Fashion Week slot to present their SS26 menswear collection in Dubai. The brand transported the essence of Oasi Zegna to the Dubai Opera, with a live score curated and performance by James Blake setting the mood.

The collection stood out for its experimental edge: many garments were subjected to intense washing and crinkling, giving them a deliberately distressed, lived-in feel. Other pieces appeared faded, as if sun-bleached by the harsh Dubai sun. Jackets were carried, or tied around the waist, instead of worn, while billowing trousers were the silhouette of choice – this sense of sophisticated ease was further expressed by many models walking barefoot across the sandy runway, flanked by palm trees. “There is an immediacy and a liveliness to the earthy allure of this collection that belies the layered thought process behind it,” said artistic director Alessandro Sartori. “While researching, we came across an image that felt illuminating, and that perfectly summed up my intentions. It depicts a chair, upon which items of clothing are piled up after being taken off, probably, ready to be picked up the day after. The stratigraphy and the casualness suggest a life lived intensely, which is what we are after.”