Zegna Transforms Malibu Pier Into Fashion Oasis for Summer Runway Show

“In the car, driving west.”

That’s an ideal place to be at golden hour for Alessandro Sartori, so it was no surprise that Zegna’s artistic director steered the Italian fashion house’s summer 2027 runway presentation to a stunning backdrop in that direction by taking over the Malibu Pier on Friday evening. It was an event in more ways than one. Zegna typically saves its collection debut for Milan Fashion Week, and by moving it to the west, the show delivered an exclamation point for Los Angeles as the third high-profile runway presentation in the city after Hermès in Bel-Air last night and Dior at LACMA last month.

Plenty of stylish Hollywood insiders got in their cars to drive west for the occasion including Oscar winners Rami Malek, Mahershala Ali and Ludwig Göransson, actors Paul Dano, Stellan Skarsgård, Gael Garcia Bernal, Henry Zaga and Cauã Reymond, basketball stars Scottie Pippen, Kevin Love and Dwight Powell, filmmakers Roman Coppola and Andy Muschietti, artist Honor Titus, power agents like CAA’s Joel Lubin and Franklin Latt, and stylists Warren Alfie Baker, Jeanne Yang, Andrew Weitz and Chaise Dennis, among many others.

There were hundreds on the scene as the Malibu Pier provided not only plenty of real estate for seats but also views of unpaid extras in the form of seals and surfers lined up to catch the high tide to close out the day. The only thing missing was sunshine. After a brief appearance in the afternoon, the sun disappeared behind cloud-covered skies to make for a gray backdrop but Sartori’s summer collection made up for it with bursts of color like summer sets in yellow, green and burnt orange.

Even before the first ensemble made its way to the runway, Yang was feeling the glow. “Each person who arrived here tonight passed through the devastation of [the Palisades Fire] and it’s a reminder of what this community went through. The fact that Zegna and all of these European fashion houses are supporting California means so much because we need it. We need to recognize and support this community that has done so much for films and for the industry. Driving here, I couldn’t believe how many of the houses burned down. It’s so sad but thank goodness somebody is here to recognize and remember. It’s beautiful to be here,” she said.

Yang was standing next to photographer and cultural change maker Carlos Eric Lopez as they were sipping Aperol Spritzes and taking in the views. “I really love that Zegna is taking advantage of the beauty of California and specifically Malibu. Summer’s about to start, so our Instagrams are about to be flooded with everyone traveling to these exotic locations. As Angelenos, we have summer year-round so I’m really excited to be on the pier with surfers to the left. It’s all iconic. It’s a dream, a fantasy and real life at the same time,” Lopez explained.

Hat maker Nick Fouquet said he had his surfboard in the car and was ready to “go jump in the water” once the show was over. “Culturally, you can’t beat the ocean, the mountains and everything we have to offer here. A show like this is an homage to the strength of our city,” Fouquet noted.

There was a lot of strength in Sartori’s collection, too. As with any Zegna summer collection, the presentation was heavy on luxe linen pieces with striped suits, finely tailored shorts, pants and shirts. But there were surprises like leather shirts, shorts and oversized jackets. “The perforated leather jackets were incredible,” explained stylist Dennis, whose client list includes Tim Cook, Trammel Tillman and Christopher Meloni. “I could not get my eyes off the butter yellow set, too. Every look was my favorite. I can’t pick just one.”

Göransson had a tough time picking a favorite, too. “I could definitely see myself wearing anything. But I did really love the green suit and the monochromatic pieces like the navy suit and anything oversized.” The Sinners composer had a much easier time describing the feeling of sitting in the front row on the Malibu Pier to take in the parade of looks. “Only in L.A., right?” True. And also very L.A., the VIPs headed from Malibu to Bar Marmont in Hollywood for a post-show party that went late into the night.

See below for all the stars on the scene and all the Zegna looks sent down the runway.