Anna Zegna, granddaughter of Italian tailor Ermenegildo Zegna, explains the brand’s artistic and culinary collaboration with Lucy + Jorge Orta
Art has always been a major source of inspiration for fashion. As with music, it’s a creative hot pot for designers to stir and find new ideas. Whereas music adds more of a feeling and energy, art contributes strong visuals and stunning graphics. There’s also an idea of a rarefied technique that the two artforms share.
Clever fashion brands realised ages ago that in order to stimulate their own designs they need to get involved with the art community to support and enable artists to create. A few years back Ermenegildo Zegna, the Italian sartorial powerhouse, founded ZegnArt. Through commissions and special projects, ZegnArt has been able to further artists on a global scale, while also subtly promoting its own brand of luxury suits and elevated lifestyle products.
In the spirit of Expo Milano 2015, and its food theme, ZegnArt has connected ‘art and nutrition with environmental and ethical ideas’ to create a unique concept. Artist duo Lucy + Jorge Orta were commissioned by Anna Zegna and her team to continue their ongoing 70×7 The Meal project in Milan during the Expo. The result, Fabulae Naturae – 70×7 The Meal, Act XXXVII, consists of an artistic act directed by Lucy + Jorge Orta and a food performance by Davide Oldani. Curated by Maria Luisa Frisa, the happening was not only a highlight at this year’s Expo Milano but a creative triumph for ZegnArt.
What’s the relationship between fashion and art in general and for Zegna?
Fashion and art are deeply connected: both stem from creative concepts and minds able to reinterpret and mold the reality surrounding them. These two worlds seemingly move at different paces, but can become entangled along the way. Fashion can be perceived as a work of art when it seeks to create timeless pieces that go beyond the trends and seasons.
Fashion houses were the first to grasp how powerful and strong the connection between fashion and art is. For instance, speaking about Zegna, our family relationship with the world of art dates back to my grandfather, Ermenegildo Zegna, who first understood the essence of aesthetic and the role beauty could play in the betterment of a community. With such spirit, he commissioned artists like Otto Maraini – an architect, painter and glass etcher – who designed the Wool Mill and his house in Trivero, or like Ettore Pistoletto, father of Michelangelo Pistoletto. The next generations continued to strengthen the bond with the world of visual arts, which led to the launch of ZegnArt in 2012.
What is the overriding purpose of ZegnArt?
ZegnArt has been defined as a platform for action in contemporary arts and it illustrates our way of doing business. We envision ZegnArt to be a bridge between enterprise and culture, a valuable occasion for exchange and awareness and a unique opportunity to create a new way of thinking.
How did you find and commission Lucy + Jorge Orta? What is it about their work you like and think is relevant to Zegna?
What intrigued us the most was their ability to address social and culture issues through their installations and performances. We therefore commissioned them to create a special installation to launch ZegnArt that was unveiled in March 2012, in Rome. Fabulae Romanae (Tales of Rome) was designed by the artists specifically for MAXXI, National Museum of XXI Century Arts, and assumed the meaning of ‘homage’ to Rome.
Can you explain the work they’ve created for you?
They have created art and food performances, named 70×7 The Meal, in various cities since 1997, each time with a new ‘act’. The different acts of 70×7 The Meal celebrate the ritual of dining with both public and private dinners and are designed as a medium to connect art, nutrition and ethical themes. Their latest performance, Fabulae Naturae – 70×7 The Meal, Act XXXVII, consists of an artistic performance directed by Lucy + Jorge Orta and a food performance by Oldani, all curated by Luisa Frisa.
What was the idea behind adding food to the mix?
Food is obviously an important element, as it represents the central theme of Expo Milano 2015: ‘Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life’. Everything started with the creative mediation concerning food and arts. Lucy + Jorge Orta were entrusted to stage a new act of this series of performances, but this time we asked them to specifically create something for Ermenegildo Zegna.
Certainly, the curation of Luisa Frisa contributed to the strong synergies forged between the artistic performance and the food performance by Italian chef Davide Oldani. Even the setting itself has been conceived to underscore the themes of art, food and the environment. The centrepiece of the exhibit is the outline of a tree that extends through the entire location: the trunk is a path that leads to Oldani’s food stations, while its branches metaphorically bridge arts and food.
Is there a connection to the set design and use of plants from the AW15 Zegna show back in January?
When Stefano Pilati joined the company over two years ago, he embraced the legacy and values of Zegna, making them his own, and was able to blend them perfectly in the last fashion show. The decision to present his new eco-leader against the backdrop of a forest, in which the trees have been replanted in Oasi Zegna, was a gesture of homage to environmental protection – one of the core values so dear to my family since the very beginning.
In a similar way, what Lucy + Jorge Orta have created for Fabulae Naturae is also inspired by our legacy as they have transformed our Milan headquarters into a forest, reminiscent of Oasi Zegna. Pilati and the Orta duo were both inspired by our DNA; what they did was to look at our past and make it our future thanks to their creativity.
Head to zegnart.com for more info
