Men's ensemble; 'Broken Suit'; three-piece suit (jacket, trousers, waistcoat), shirt, necktie, pair of black leather shoes; Stefano Pilati for Zegna, Milan, A/W 2015-16

Men's three-piece suit (jacket, trousers, waistcoat), wool, mohair and cashmere blend, with subtly contrasting weave patterns. With checked cotton shirt, grey woven necktie and pair of leather shoes.

Donated by Ermenegildo Zegna

Given to the V&A in 2015 [2015/451]

Ermengildo Zegna is the largest manufacturer of menswear in the world. The company began in 1910 as a maker of woollen cloth. Founded in Trivero, Piedmont, the original looms were purchased by the eponymous founder from his father. Northern Italy became a centre for fine wool production in the late nineteenth century, largely because of Piedmont’s high mountain pastures and plentiful water supply, ideal for the rearing of sheep and production of wool. By the 1930s, the Zegna mill employed over 1000 workers. The company began producing men’s ready-to-wear suits in 1968, two years after Ermengildo Zegna’s death.

As of 2015, the brand is in its fourth generation of ownership and management by the Zegna family. Ermengildo’s son, Angelo (b. 1924), remains honorary president. As well as selling menswear through over 500 boutiques worldwide, they also manufacture for labels such as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Dunhill and Tom Ford.

Stefano Pilati (b. Milan, 1965) joined Zegna in 2012. Previously, he worked as an assistant for Armani, managed fabric research for Prada, and was assistant designer for Miu Miu. He joined Yves Saint Laurent in 2000, replacing Tom Ford as head designer in 2004. Pilati oversees Zegna’s couture collections, until 2015 he was also creative director for Zegna Agnona, the company’s women’s line.

This men’s ensemble (three-piece suit, shirt, necktie and pair of shoes) is from Zegna’s Autumn/Winter 2015/16 collection. Known as a ‘Broken Suit’, its name comes from the mixture of textures and fabrics used for each element. While its components of jacket, trousers and waistcoat, make a traditional three-piece suit, each element is made up in a different fabric in a matching shade, creating a subtle ‘broken’ effect. Pilati debuted the ‘Broken Suit’ in his first collection for Zegna; it has since become a signature of Pilati and of Zegna.

T.128:1 to 7-2015