Alessandro Sartori's unified vision for the house of Zegna has helped create a cohesive thread the run through Ermenegildo Zegna Couture down to the much sportier Z Zegna. For the latter's SS19 collection, Sartori's excellent use of rich color elevated the collection, which took on tennis, a sport so famed in its utilization of pristine white threads. The sport of country clubs around the world, Sartori brought a laid back air to it by using branded tights, slouchy trenches, and tracksuits in vibrant hues of maroon and blue.

The team at Z Zegna, under the direction of Alessandro Sartori, continues to find the balance between tailor and sport since the label merged with Zegna Sport. For FW18, there is a snow-tivities theme that resultid in a multitude of puffer-adjacent designs from oversized puffer scarves to puffer to pants and of course, puffer jackets and vests. In-between these bulbous pieces were well made suit separates that frankly seemed out of place against the sportier, athletic-minded pieces that dominated the collection, or at the very least, dominated the looks.

Z Zegna's sea-faring Spring/Summer 2018 collection, at least, felt too literal but there were some great sporty clothes within the mix, like the ruggedness of the pants or the great water-resistant clothes that would be great for anyone, not just sailors. Though, we'd leave the bucket hats at home.

It's been quite awhile since we've seen a collection from Z Zegna. After much re-jiggering, Z Zegna is back with a more athletic-minded aesthetic. But first, a history lesson. Alessandro Sartori had designed Z Zegna for some 5 years until he decamped to LVMH's Berluti. He was succeeded by Paul Surridge in 2011 and then for a short time Francesco Muzi and Murray Scallon. After a few seasons, Z Zegna's parent company decided to consolidate Z Zegna and its more athletic-minded brother Zegna Sport into one label. Eventually, Sartori left Berluti to return to Zegna full time, overseeing not just Z Zegna but all Zegna labels, including its flagship Ermenegildo Zegna, which saw the departure of former couturier Stefano Pilati.

Fall/Winter 2017 is the first season after Sartori's return. The collection is noticeably more athletic, with tweed pants tucked into wooly socks and worn with hiking boots or an athletic band running through the chest of a jacket or around the shoulder and sleeves of a coat. The result, we think, needs some extra re-jiggering, with more balance between the sportswear aspect and the athletic and performance-wear aspects. Right now, it seems far too focused on the latter and not enough on the former. Zegna, after all, is the largest menswear label in the world, a wide range of lower-priced suiting, apt for the boardroom rather than a night out with the guys, apres-ski, would surely expand the label's reach.

Once Z Zegna and Zegna Sport combined to form a new, sportier Z Zegna, its presence on the runway has been sporadic. But fret not, the brand is still alive and well. For FW16, there were long puffers, pops of color to enlivened the sharp tailoring while performancewear was seen throughout.

After taking some time off the runway for some under-the-hood restructuring, Z Zegna returns with a sportier look. This is thanks to the consolidation of Z Zegna and Zegna Sport into one label. The merger between the two is palpable, with hoodies in technical fabrics worn under well cut jackets, long trousers with a long fold and sneakers shown alongside and complementing Paul Surridge's relaxed tailoring. Various types of outerwear helped bring home the athletic-minded label, allowing the wearers to bike to their office and take off their windbreaker and go into a board meeting.

Z Zegna was invited to be the guest designer at Pitti Uomo and when the younger sibling of the Ermenegildo Zegna label arrived in Florence, they came totting news that Zegna Sport had been folded into Z Zegna, streamlining the two label to create one cohesive collection. Also, Z Zegna's former creative director Paul Surridge now shares the role with Zegna Sport's designer Murray Scallon.

The result was a true mix of Z Zegna's youthful suiting and Zegna Sport's athleticism, seen in the first look, with a slim cut suit paired with a windbreaker underneath. The collection's muted color palette felt a bit moody for Spring, save for the handful of neon hues at the end. That being said, the collection truly shined when there seemed to be symbiosis between the newly merged labels, from technical fabrics and patterns seen on tailored athleticwear like running pants to a stark suit paired with sneakers, a geometric patterned knit and an anorak.

Paul Surridge knocked the Z Zegna FW14 collection out of the park with mod-inspired collection. On the last day of Milan Fashion Week, Surridge showed youthful tailoring, inspired by English schoolboys, think long torsos and short lapels. Meanwhile, a true highlight were the oversized coats that were anything but stuck in the 60s. A voluminous puffer was a triumph while slimmer plaid topcoats were chic and melded the past with the present. A great end to Milan Fashion Week!

See the full collection here.