How Pal Zileri is putting its own subtle mark on traditional Italian dress
Using conventional tailoring as a base, the heritage label softens things up for AW’24 with playful patterns and textured knitwear
Words: Josh Lee
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Pal Zileri, like all fine heritage brands, manages to pull off that hard-to-execute trick of having one foot firmly rooted in tradition and the other in the current day. For this particular name, that means being forever shaped by its homeland of Italy – ‘In the Pal Zileri DNA, there is the architecture of Venice and the colours of Veneto’, says the label – with all garments produced either by its long-term partners at a factory in Quinto Vicentino, or by a network of craftspeople located across the country. Classic menswear items that are synonymous with the peninsula’s style – suits in subtle check patterns; single-breasted coats perfect for winter; chinos in neutral hues – also emphasise the made-in-Italy spirit and are given modern slants, whether that’s via clean, tailored silhouettes, a seamless mix of casual items with dressed-up staples, or the use of next-gen materials, such as stretch Tencel.
Pal Zileri, AW’24 collection, palzileri.com
For its AW’24 campaign, Pal Zileri has focused on ‘effortless living’, ‘slow living’ and ‘the luxury of taking time for oneself,’ its reaction to the current climate of never-ending deadlines and relentless movement. For the collection, the brand looked to Duccio Maria Gambi, a designer and artist who, after living and working in Rotterdam and Paris, decided to return to his home city of Florence to halt his pace of life and let his creativity gain a new, more considered perspective. Owing to a use of timeless materials – stone, cement, iron – and a pared-down aesthetic, Gambi’s work is widely appreciated because of its evergreen appeal.
In a similar fashion, Pal Zileri, using traditional codes of tailoring as a base, has created a range that is relaxed and more in-tune with the current times, a notion embodied by Gambi, who, for this campaign, was shot by Stefano Galuzzi in the artist’s atelier and throughout the idyllic Tuscan countryside.
Notably, suits and blazers are given a softer edge, allowing them to be worn as everyday pieces in many scenarios – for example, the deconstructed, light quality of the Brera line has a versatile quality. Meanwhile patterns, such as Prince of Wales checks, houndstooth and pinstripes, imbue the pieces with verve.
Of course, with the colder period ahead, outerwear is another key focus – we particularly like the shearling pieces, as seen in the aviator bomber; the wool bomber that mixes a sporty look with the feel of a classic item; and the slew of clean-cut coats.
For those mid-weight items perfect for layering underneath, there’s a bevy of knitwear on offer, too, and the brand’s key hallmarks of rich texture and discreet contrast stitching is exhibited across the range, which includes turtlenecks and cashmere polos.
By tweaking conventional tailoring with fresh ideas, and anchoring it all with style hallmarks for which Italy has become famed, Pal Zileri should be in contention for forming the spine of your new-season ensembles.
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