Stefano Pilati Leaving Ermenegildo Zegna

[HeatherAnne]

Starting to think he really doesn't want to be in fashion anymore ...

Same, he seems over it, unfortunately for us.

 

[vetements]

Just one question: which contract between a brand and a designer signed 5 years ago is still running?

I ask this because nothing works. Who's to blame? Eveything is so short-lived. And I think this is the new pace of fashion. Little chapters, living for the hype and the sales originated by the hype, and when the formula is not working as well as in the beginning, they start all over again.


It's wwwwweird.

Much as I dislike the current musical chairs, gone are the days where a designer stick to one house for his or her entire life.
The environment is different now, markets are way way bigger, consumers more sophisticated and informed (and fickle). Stakes are larger.
These fashion houses are mostly not just independent but listed conglomerates that have shareholders to answer to.
That said, designers have to not just have the designing abilities but creating buzz and being a darling of social media etc.

Pilati, whilst clearly has the technical skills and can make beautiful clothes he does seem to me as someone living in an ivory tower at times.

 

[fashionista-ta]

I seem to recall a number of offensive comments from him ... so many male designers though have these ridiculous ideas in their heads--what bodies should be like, what women should be like ... all these ideals they think other people should care about. Not sure his womens wear has even been for sale here ... but I'm kind of interested to know what he's been doing, whether his ideas have grown.

Surely there's a place for those with talent and perhaps a more retiring personality amidst the all-but-talent-free, hard-partying Instagrammers?

 

[Lola701]

Just one question: which contract between a brand and a designer signed 5 years ago is still running?

I ask this because nothing works. Who's to blame? Eveything is so short-lived. And I think this is the new pace of fashion. Little chapters, living for the hype and the sales originated by the hype, and when the formula is not working as well as in the beginning, they start all over again.


It's wwwwweird.

The thing is that most of the contracts are 3 years contracts and the industry is changing so much that it will be hard for designers to renew their contracts.

About everything being short-lived, it's a pity and for me the issue is the competition. Do we really needs a TOD'S RTW collection? Do Zegna really needs to be on the runway? It is a waste of talents.

The formula you said was effective at Gucci and Saint Laurent. But i feel like when a designer is smart enough to reinvent himself (like Phoebe and Nicolas did), they can stay longer than others.


Stefano was a good designer but his designs in womenswear were tricky. He could have been a perfect designer for Hermes but now, i don't see him anywhere else.

 

[mistress_f]

now official

Stefano Pilati to Exit Zegna
Stefano Pilati will step down as head of design for Ermenegildo Zegna Couture, the company confirmed.

LONDON, United Kingdom — Stefano Pilati will step down from his position as head of design for Ermenegildo Zegna Couture, the designer and the Ermenegildo Zegna Group confirmed today. The designer’s Autumn/Winter 2016 collection, presented last month in Milan, was his last for the house.

"I want to thank Stefano for his contribution to Ermenegildo Zegna. We wanted to develop a strong point of view in fashion as well as style, and for Zegna to be a show not to be missed in Milan. We have reached this objective faster than expected. As we move on to write new chapters in Zegna’s development, I wish Stefano well for his future endeavours," said Gildo Zegna, chief executive officer of the Zegna Group in a statement.

Pilati, who has been in the position for three years, added: “I have given much consideration to this decision and after thoughtful conversations with Gildo Zegna, we have reached the conclusion that the mission he entrusted me with had been fulfilled. I now wish to focus on other projects that I had put aside in order to achieve our common goals with Zegna Couture.”

The news is the third designer exit from a European menswear house this week. On Monday, Italian fashion house Brioni announced the departure of its creative director Brendan Mullane, while Paris-based menswear label Berluti confirmed that designer Alessandro Sartori will exit the company.

businessoffashion.com

 

[lelaid]

Now all these comments about him at Lanvin have me hoping so much that he's an option for them. I could also see his aesthetic working very well for Dior and Balenciaga. I'm just shooting in the dark at this point because I loved his work at YSL so much and wish him such success.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^^ Thanks for posting the article ... definitely sounds voluntary on his part not to renew the contract. He does seem to have something else in mind, and for awhile, though I'm not clear on what that might be. Has there been any hint of his own line?

 

[gossiping]

i'm sad, loved his work for zegna. hopefully he only chose to do this because one of the bigger houses came calling.

 

[Nymphaea]

Can't help feeling a bit negative for his future, but hope otherwise.

 

[Creative]

Vanessa hit the nail on the head one more time. She's saying what I've been saying for a long time:

The Milanese men’s wear brand Ermenegildo Zegna announced on Wednesday that it was parting ways with Stefano Pilati, the head of design for Ermenegildo Zegna Couture, confirming rumors that had been swirling since Monday and making it the third Italian men’s house to lose its designer in a week. The departure was characterized as being by mutual agreement.

Still, and perhaps more significantly, Mr. Pilati is the fourth designer in the past year to leave a job after only approximately three years. He follows in the footsteps of the New York designer Alexander Wang who agreed to disagree with Balenciaga last July; Raf Simons, who just said no to Dior in October; and Brendan Mullane, who consciously uncoupled from Brioni this week.

You know the fashion rule: One is a fluke, two a coincidence, three a trend. So what does that make four? A new reality? Is a short stint at a big house the new black for a designer?

Gildo Zegna, the chief executive of the Zegna Group, said in a statement, referring to Mr. Pilati’s departure: “We wanted to develop a strong point of view in fashion, and for Zegna to be a show not to missed in Milan. We have reached this objective faster than expected.”

Mr. Pilati also said that after long discussions with Mr. Zegna, “We have reached the conclusion that the mission he entrusted me with has been fulfilled” and he was ready to move on to “other projects I had put aside in order to achieve our common goals with Zegna Couture.”

In other words: It was a project, and they finished it. And there is no question that Mr. Pilati, who made his name as creative director at Yves Saint Laurent, transformed Zegna into appointment fashion-week viewing. But it seems to me three years is far too short a time to really reboot a brand’s image and solidify a new direction in consumers’ minds and closets, even in the slow-moving, detail-oriented world of men’s wear. Three years (effectively six collections) is more like a palate cleanser: a washing out of the old, and readying for the new.

It is a truism in fashion that you are only as good as your last collection, which would suggest a new designer could come in and make a statement powerful enough for it to be all that matters (see: Phoebe Philo’s debut at Céline; Tom Ford’s at Gucci). But to really add up something, you need a body of last collections. And a three-year stint simply does not allow for that.

Last month, The New York Times men’s wear critic, Guy Trebay, wrote of what would turn out to be Mr. Pilati’s final Zegna collection: “Mr. Pilati drew an imaginary line with the collection between his wealthy potential consumer and vulgar Instagram hoi polloi. His clothes conveyed the quiet aura of money, chastely created and largely invisible.”

Will that be his legacy to the brand? Or will it just be a vague memory, as a new designer comes in to impose his or her vision, leading to a head-scratching moment for consumers to wonder if they are in the same house today as they were yesterday, and where, exactly, their loyalties lie?

This is not an idle question for designers, who are fast becoming the fashion equivalent of basketball free agents, or the brands that employ them.

nytimes



APPLAUSE.

 

[eugenius]

I really, really just hope he (and all these other unemployed designers) just start opening up their own lines. No matter where they go to, there's always going to be that "codes of the house" issue to deal with. And if Pilati goes to Lanvin, I can just see the million and one "not Lanvin" posts here.

In my opinion, when he was at YSL womens, he was either too close and/or too far from what the YSL look was. This wasn't really the case w/ his menswear, because there really wasn't much of foundation w/ the YSL menswear in the first place, so he had just a little bit more freedom in that department. And at Zegna, yeah, his menswear was nice and clean, but it was always designed w/ the suit-wearers closet in mind. That is, after all, all that Zegna is--glorified suit-makers. How much can you really do with that? At Agnona, that train-of-thought and rule-of-thumb didn't apply, so he was able to express himself more freely; there's not necessarily an established template with which he needs to go by when designing (at least, not as far as I can tell).

And it's not like any of these designers do NOT have the resources to venture out on their own, which I get can be tough in today's world. But Tom did it, and he made a Hollywood movie at the same time, so starting one's own line isn't entirely impossible.

 

[Crying Diamonds]

I sincerely hope Pilati goes to one of the big houses.. I miss his Yves Saint Laurent so, so much.

 

[Lola701]

I really, really just hope he (and all these other unemployed designers) just start opening up their own lines. No matter where they go to, there's always going to be that "codes of the house" issue to deal with. And if Pilati goes to Lanvin, I can just see the million and one "not Lanvin" posts here.

In my opinion, when he was at YSL womens, he was either too close and/or too far from what the YSL look was. This wasn't really the case w/ his menswear, because there really wasn't much of foundation w/ the YSL menswear in the first place, so he had just a little bit more freedom in that department. And at Zegna, yeah, his menswear was nice and clean, but it was always designed w/ the suit-wearers closet in mind. That is, after all, all that Zegna is--glorified suit-makers. How much can you really do with that? At Agnona, that train-of-thought and rule-of-thumb didn't apply, so he was able to express himself more freely; there's not necessarily an established template with which he needs to go by when designing (at least, not as far as I can tell).

And it's not like any of these designers do NOT have the resources to venture out on their own, which I get can be tough in today's world. But Tom did it, and he made a Hollywood movie at the same time, so starting one's own line isn't entirely impossible.

I was thinking about that but i don't think that we need others "new brands".
Some designers can't carry their own brand. Stefano may being very talented but he is the type of designer who needs to be attached to a big name to make sense.

Tom Ford is a curious case. He has started with a book, eyewear, beauty and then, fashion. Those superstars designers can't start little with their womenswear.
Plus, Tom position in the Gucci Group at the time allowed him to be financially independent when he left the group.

Stefano can do Lanvin... He is needed in Paris.

 

[Marc10]

Sad that he's leaving. He's a great menswear designer and he was doing a great job there.

To be honest, I always thought that his womenswear was kinda crap. He was at YSL for more than 10 years and yet he never made a real impact. The collections were just nice enough. Lanvin could be a nice place, but I really doubt a bigger brand would be interested in him.

 

[vetements]

I really, really just hope he (and all these other unemployed designers) just start opening up their own lines. No matter where they go to, there's always going to be that "codes of the house" issue to deal with. And if Pilati goes to Lanvin, I can just see the million and one "not Lanvin" posts here.

In my opinion, when he was at YSL womens, he was either too close and/or too far from what the YSL look was. This wasn't really the case w/ his menswear, because there really wasn't much of foundation w/ the YSL menswear in the first place, so he had just a little bit more freedom in that department. And at Zegna, yeah, his menswear was nice and clean, but it was always designed w/ the suit-wearers closet in mind. That is, after all, all that Zegna is--glorified suit-makers. How much can you really do with that? At Agnona, that train-of-thought and rule-of-thumb didn't apply, so he was able to express himself more freely; there's not necessarily an established template with which he needs to go by when designing (at least, not as far as I can tell).

And it's not like any of these designers do NOT have the resources to venture out on their own, which I get can be tough in today's world. But Tom did it, and he made a Hollywood movie at the same time, so starting one's own line isn't entirely impossible.

On the contrary, I think for every one successful designer that went independent, there are 20 others that are struggling or went bust, and most of these have talents, in varying degrees,


How many of the following designers are truly profitable or even, sustainable:


antonio marras
gareth pugh
roksanda ilincic
christopher kane
no.21
(they may have to some extent, investors, so I am generalizing independent as not belonging to a big conglomerate here)
etc etc...


I think running a business is very different from "able to design", and unfortunately, the skills of these two doesnt always come hand in hand and I dare say, not even complimentary.
Designers often tend to be idealistic whilst running a busines requires business acumens, strong marketing skills, strong financial backing to sustain the business during down times.


When big and strong companies like Dolce and Gabbana, Prada and Burberry have downsized, cut costs etc. closed subsidiary brands etc, small outfits will make it even harder to survive.


I may be wrong, but I dont quite see Pilati as one that can make it like Alexander Wang or Tom Ford, and even them, dont have it easy, I am sure of that.


Personally, I definitely like to see independent designers flourishing since I think there is a certain beauty to it, the uniqueness and all, vs the somewhat cookie cutter formula from LVMH or Kering (I sometimes cannot disassociate Celine from Givenchy from Pucci from Louis Vuitton and Gucci from McQueen from Bottega Venetta), you get the drift...

 

[perhydrol]

(they may have to some extent, investors, so I am generalizing independent as not belonging to a big conglomerate here)

Christopher Kane is with Kering and No. 21 is with Gilmar so they're not as independent as you may think.

 

[vetements]

Christopher Kane is with Kering and No. 21 is with Gilmar so they're not as independent as you may think.

Pardon my misquotes but I hope you get my point.

 

[Phuel]

A designer may be branded as indie to get those street creds and buzz, but many times they have deep pocket backers. That isn’t to say they’re not deserving of the hype or buzz, but if a designer is truly independent of the fashion system nowadays, the costs of production and branding is frighteningly huge. Even designers that are supported by high-profile fashion editors and stylists (without the aid of costly PR)— and by “supported”, I mean that their pieces are pulled for shoots, and may even make it to the final editorial, or even the cover, they’ve still an up-mountain climb.

Stefano is very talented and I like him— not so much his offering for Zegna, but it may not be as easy for him to finance his own brand the way Tom has, and as Lola’s point is so important: Tom’s circumstances were very different, as well as the era that he moved up in. Very different times. Or… it could be that Stefano just doesn’t want to be designing under his own name...?

 

[mistress_f]

Apparently Stefano found himself a styling gig -

Sansovino 6’s Edward Buchanan Recruits Stefano Pilati and Stephen Galloway for a Milan Dance Party


Hands down the happiest fashion experience of Milan Fashion Week so far was former Bottega Veneta designer Edward Buchanan’s relaunch of his personal passion project, Sansovino 6. Why so? Well, the Ohio-raised Milan-residing designer held the presentation in his favorite local “balera”—or ballroom—a rickety but wonderful space under a police station by Porta Venezia. Once past the clipboards and downstairs on the floor it was a little slice of uninhibited heaven: A great little band was pumping out disco classics—“The Hustle,” when we swung by—dance masters Stephen Galloway and Michael-John Harper were busting moves with the models, and Debra Shaw was providing soulful vocals. It was highly tempting to join in. The clothes looked like they moved fluidly under rhythmic duress, and majored on oversize proportions and subtly counterintuitive structural details—Buchanan’s equivalent to the hip drops and twirls the girls were being led through by Messrs. Galloway and Harper.

In the stairwell, where the flute riff was just a little less insistent, Buchanan explained: “I have been doing the collection independently for nearly 10 years, and I have just started working with an amazing manufacturer so we wanted to do a relaunch. It’s 100 percent made in Italy, all based on knit. It’s a total look, but you know you always have different aspects: Sometimes it doesn’t look knit—it looks woven.” Stefano Pilati styled the collection—“I adore Stefano and I adore his energy. What I called him for was advice”—but the real stars here were the clothes and the atmosphere of total happiness (so much so that one model was crying of it) that this event to showcase them generated.

photos of the collection @ source

 

[Benn98]

Stefano Pilati’s New Collection About to Hit Retail

Dubbed Random Identities, it is to debut at on Ssense.com and also at Dover Street Market, sources said.
By WWD Staff on October 24, 2018

IDENTITY CHECK: After teasing his forthcoming Random Identities fashion project on Instagram for more than a year, Stefano Pilati seems to have all his ducks in a row.

Word has it the collection, which he designs from his home base of Berlin, will finally arrive at retail next month with Ssense.com and Dover Street Market the key partners. Invitations went out Wednesday for a “launch event” on Nov. 7 at Ssense’s Montreal headquarters. It is understood Pilati is targeting a wide and young audience with Random Identities, priced at the affordable end of the spectrum.

The designer has been dribbling out images of test designs on Instagram Stories. These have mostly been in black, white and khaki, and bend traditional signals of gender and seasonality, while bearing Pilati’s strong suit — innovative and eye-catching silhouettes.

Pilati has kept a relatively low profile since exiting the Ermenegildo Zegna Group in 2016 and moving to Germany, though he frequently pops up during Paris Fashion Week. The designer is probably best known for his fruitful and influential, if at times turbulent, stint as the creative director of Yves Saint Laurent from 2004 to 2012. Known for his suave personal style and exacting approach, Pilati has worked in senior design and fabric development positions for a number of Italian design houses, including Miu Miu, Prada and Giorgio Armani.

Source: WWD.com