For Spring Summer 2021, Ermenegildo Zegna unveils a campaign that features mother-son duo, five-time César winner Isabelle Adjani and her son, musician Gabriel-Kane Day-Lewis, in the lush backdrop of the Oasi Zegna, honouring sustainability and the exploring the complexities of modern masculinity.

ZEGNA's SS21 campaign stars mother son duo Gabriel-Kane Day-Lewis and Isabelle Adjani

What does it mean to be a man today? This is the question that Ermenegildo Zegna asks in its latest Spring/Summer 2021 campaign, starring five-time César Award-winning actress Isabelle Adjani, and her son, singer and songwriter Gabriel-Kane Day-Lewis (son of Academy Award-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis, and also his spitting image). The campaign offers an intimate portrait of the mother-son duo as individuals, and also captures their familial bond.

The #WHATMAKESAMAN concept by the Trivero, Italy-based menswear maison is an opportunity for loved ones to consider the contemporary ideals that matter when it comes to the men in their lives by asking: What makes my man? A starting point for conversations about identity, individuality, singularity, responsibility and legacy, the question fosters a global community sharing a common objective: to explore the complexities and intricacies of modern masculinity, encouraging dialogue as a way to effect progress.

Gabriel Kane Day-Lewis in Zegna's new Spring Summer 2021 campaign

Illuminating an outlook that is entirely her own, Isabelle – the first woman to ever star in an Ermenegildo Zegna campaign – turns the camera on Gabriel-Kane and presents an earnest vision of her son. “Sometimes my son sounds like he has an old soul,” says Isabelle. “Behind the boy that’s sometimes rebellious and really stubborn, there is so much wisdom and beautiful philosophy about love and kindness and generosity.” Together, the mother and son reflect on the lessons and values that make Gabriel-Kane the man he is today and express how important it is to grow up with positive principles that are passed down by the ones closest to us.

These dynamic individuals are all photographed against a natural backdrop inspired by Oasi Zegna, the birthplace of the luxury menswear brand. They showcase the Spring|Summer 2021 collection envisioned in fluid silhouettes and earthy colours that creatively reflect this lush landscape. It is here that founder Ermenegildo Zegna ignited the brand’s lifelong pursuit of protecting the environment when he began planting more than 500,000 trees to establish a free-access nature park stretching 100 km2 from Trivero to the peaks of the Biella Alps in Northern Italy. This evolving campaign invokes the special meaning of Oasi Zegna, as time spent in nature gives us the chance to reconsider the maison’s priorities and reflect upon its values.

Gabriel Kane Day-Lewis wears a classic, reimagined wardrobe

Honouring Zegna’s legacy of sustainability, the Spring|Summer 2021 collection features reimagined wardrobe classics which continue to use more of our #UseTheExisting fabrics reworked for a new life. Much like our evolving ideas about masculinity, these fabrics are redefined to make the dream of zero waste possible. #UseTheExisting materials are recovered to create our featured Modern Tailoring looks, extended to include bombers and shirt-jackets for a reinterpretation of the monochromatic suit. Heralding a new era in style, the campaign also highlights Luxury Leisurewear comprised of hybrid garments in casual silhouettes that are fluid, comfortable, and adaptable.

For Zegna, the journey continues in a more personal direction as they explore the uniqueness of the stories and experiences of the modern man. (Next up: Through this lens, we also capture an intimate portrait of Chinese actor Li Xian alongside Noonoouri, the digital character that has made sustainability the centre of her virtual activity. This unexpected pair reflect on the contemporary values they stand for, reminding us that masculinity is not a fixed idea or rigid set of rules set out by others. Rather, masculinity is a fluid concept and a deeply personal state of mind.)

Gabriel Kane Day-Lewis is photographed at the Oasi Zegna, a lush green forest in Trivero, Italy

As the season progresses, Zegna continues to ask the global community of Modern Voices to reflect on: What makes me “me”? Asking this question on a personal level, Zegna encourages authenticity and introspection in changing times. The idea is to come together and begin to discover what makes us “us”.