In 2003, he became creative director of the newly created "Z Zegna" at Ermenegildo Zegna. He presented the Z Zegna first runway show in New York City in February 2007. Z Zegna successfully appeared at five New York Fashion Weeks, and then moved to Milan starting in June 2009. On 1 July 2011 he was appointed as artistic director at Berluti with the aim of creating a luxury total wardrobe. On January 20, 2012 he unveiled his first collection at the :fr:École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts|Ecole des Beaux-Arts, with footwear occupying rows of chairs lined up as if for a fashion show. Women's Wear Daily stated "It was an impressive debut." "Sartori’s collection was worn by a multigenerational cast of models in vignettes that telegraphed the Berluti lifestyle: playing chess in the library of a country chateau; having cocktails in a groovy apartment; gathering with friends under a full moon for a midnight shoe-polishing party, with Dom Pérignon as the shining agent." His last collection for Berluti, presented during Paris Menswear Fashion Week, on January 22, 2016 was viewed as his best collection for the brand; Luke Leitch, on Vogue.com wrote: "This collection contained almost as many potential angles to elucidate excellence in menswear as there were grains of volcanic sand on the runway". On February 1, 2016 Women's Wear Daily confirmed the rumors about Sartori leaving Berluti. On February 5, 2016 Ermenegildo Zegna Group announced that Alessandro Sartori was appointed artistic director with responsibility across all Zegna brands and all creative functions. Sartori officially joined the Ermenegildo Zegna Group in June 2016. His first fashion show was the Ermenegildo Zegna Couture Autumn/Winter 2017 collection at Hangar Bicocca. In 2019 Sartori chose wide, urban spaces in Milan – such as Stazione Centrale and former production plant Area Falck – as stages to his collections. In January 2019for the first time, during the Ermenegildo Zegna XXX Winter 2019 fashion show, he unveiled a collection under the slogan #USETHEEXISTING, which is entirely made with innovative processes from pre-existing sources. Under his direction, in 2017 Zegna opened its first Bespoke Atelier in Milan.
Collaborations
Since many years, Sartori has partnered with Benjamin Millepied, co-founder of the L.A. Dance Project. In 2015/2016 he designed costumes for Paris Opera Ballet. In 2017 all the dancers of the L.A. Dance Project performed in Marfa, Texas, wearing Ermenegildo Zegna Couture custom made looks for a streaming life worldwide premiere. In 2018 Sartori made the suits worn by actress Tilda Swinton who played the role of Josef Klemperer in Luca Guadagnino’s movie Suspiria. In 2019, all dancers from the L.A. Dance Project performed the world premiere of Bach Studies at Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, wearing Ermenegildo Zegna XXX custom designed looks by Sartori. Since 2018 Sartori started designing the costumes for Genny Savastano, one of the main characters of the Italian series Gomorra, played by Salvatore Esposito.
Awards and honors
In 2005 GQ Spain awarded Sartori the title of "Best International Designer" of the year. In 2015 GQ Spain awarded again Sartori as "Best Designer of the Year". In 2019 Sartori was awarded the "I’m Alumni Award" by fashion school Istituto Marangoni, where he graduated in 1989.
