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Try as you might to escape the clutches of hyper-speed retailers, there’s no getting around the fact that Zara continues to elevate its offering. This time, the global chain is speaking directly to the hearts of true fashion lovers with a collaboration created by Italian designer Stefano Pilati.
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Previously, Pilati launched Random Identities in 2017 and transformed the Ermenegildo Zegna Group in creative director roles from 2012 to 2016. Before that, Pilati served as design director at Yves Saint Laurent for about a decade under the leadership of Tom Ford. But now, Pilati is ready to expand his reach with an exclusive collection for Zara. “It’s an amazing opportunity to know that my creations are accessible to most, instead of being confined in a market segment belonging to a happy few,” Pilati exclusively tells ELLE.
Unlike other high street collaborations from the myriad of drops taking place almost daily, no shortcuts were taken here. The expertly crafted designs are a reflection of Pilati’s integrity when it comes to his work and his personal approach to style. “The scope of [this] Zara [collection] was to celebrate my style and work,” Pilati elaborates. “Both are very connected, even if some derivatives are created on merchandising criteria when I do a collection. Still, I won’t design something I wouldn’t wear or see people wearing. It’s a variable that ethically influences my design and cooperates with my integrity as a designer and professional.”
The beauty of Pilati’s designs for Zara is that the fluid coats and exacting tailoring were created without any traditional boundaries—instead, a modern concept of dressing was used to intuitively sculpt each piece. “It’s important to me to think co-ed—to cement years of mutual understanding, admiration, and respect,” Pilati says. “My style is part of my life. Modern style is something I refine daily based on my evolution as a man, a human being, and, ultimately, as a fashion designer.”
With images photographed by Steven Meisel, Gisele Bündchen poses with Pilati to bring the collection to life. “Gisele transcends the role of muse or top model,” Pilati explains. “She’s unique in her body and beauty. Her personality is a pure joy to be surrounded by and to work with. She acts like an actress, and that is exactly what I have been looking for.”
Prices start as low as $18 and max out at $399 for the investment-worthy outerwear. Sadly, we’ll have to wait until October 3 to officially shop the pieces, which, by the way, will be the first time that the world will be able to grab Pilati designs under his own name. Perhaps, this is a sartorial premonition of an eponymous label in Pilati’s future. A fashion girl can dream, right?
See the Entire Stefano Pilati x Zara Collection Here
Alexis Bennett Parker is the Commerce Content Lead at ELLE.com. In this newly created role, she oversees all shopping-related stories online, from fashion-forward trend pieces to the most coveted beauty buys on the market right now. Alexis has worked in the publishing space for 11 years, and seven of those years have been dedicated to helping shoppers make informed purchases—no buyer’s remorse here! Before joining the team at ELLE.com, she worked in the editorial departments of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and InStyle, to name a few magazines. Not only has Alexis worked closely with several brands and tested hundreds of products over the course of her career, but she’s also won awards for her work as a shopping journalist. Namely, she was an honoree at the Pynk Magazine Gala in 2023, received the Condé Nast Commerce Content Award for Best Article by a New Hire in 2021, and was included on the Top 40 Under 40 Heir’s List in 2018.