Z Zegna's New Era

In her latest Vogue column, Suzy Menkes reports back from Z Zegna's energetic Florence show.Leaping like manic monkeys across a metallic framework, the sporty energy of the athletic team was breathtaking. There could not have been a more dramatic way of announcing that Z Zegna and the company's sports side had merged, creating a powerful double act for Italy's renowned menswear brand.In a return to Florence, where it had first nurtured the Ermenegildo Zegna fashion label, this fusion of sport and casual looked tailor made for the global generation of young and active males.

But the company has not forgotten its core business, which will be shown as a collection in Milan menswear week.And that tailoring still resonated in the Florence display of sharply cut coats and jackets, their geometric cuts reinforced by graphic lines and squares.

Just in case the message that ''sport is king'' had not reached the audience, a display of colourful and classy sneakers were on display and on the models' feet.