Zara’s New Luxury Collab Is One Of The Most Exciting Of The Year – Here’s What Will Sell Out First

The high street has surpassed itself when it comes to savvy designer collaborations of late (Alexa Chung’s eighth collection for Barbour; Clare Waight Keller’s third outing at Uniqlo; Sienna Miller’s sophomore campaign at Marks & Spencer, to name a few). However, there’s another one to watch this autumn, with the kind of high-fashion credentials that are guaranteed to make it a collection for the archives: Stefano Pilati x Zara.

You may not immediately recognise the name, but your wardrobe has almost certainly been shaped by the trickle-down effect of his influence. The Italian designer’s eight-year tenure at Yves Saint Laurent, where he was originally hired to work under Tom Ford, is still remembered as a fashion high in the house’s storied history. Now creative director of his own label, Random Identities, Pilati’s Zara collaboration is the first time he’s designed a collection under the name Stefano Pilati. It’s also modelled by Gisele Bündchen, a long-time collaborator since his days at YSL. ‘Gisele transcends the role of a muse or top model,’ Pilati tells Grazia.

The collection consists of both womenswear and menswear that riffs on signatures that fans will immediately recognise. Highlights include a waistcoat blazer with sculpted shoulders, a faux-fur coat that you won’t take off this winter and a single-breasted grey blazer that would look sharp for the office or sexy for evening. Having worked for the most luxurious echelons of the fashion world (including stints at Ermenegildo Zegna, Prada and Giorgio Armani), Pilati was excited at the prospect of reaching a wider demographic at Zara, with prices starting from £12.99. ‘It’s an amazing opportunity to know that my creations are accessible to most, instead of being confined to a market segment belonging to a happy few,’ he says, adding that he enjoyed the creative process immensely. ‘Absolute freedom is rare, and when you have it, it requires using it well. The Zara team is wonderful.’

With a moody colour palette of black, white, grey and the occasional flash of red via a strawberry print that appears on a blouse, a pair of track pants and a miniskirt, it’s a collection designed to slot into your existing wardrobe, as well as making an impact on arrival. When prompted, Pilati was unable to pick favourites. ‘Each of my creations has been treated with the same importance and emphasis.’ Instead, it’s always personal for the fashion designer. ‘I rarely design something I won’t wear,’ he says.

Dropping on October 3rd, preview the collection below.

Shop: Stefano Pilati x Zara

Natalie Hammond is senior fashion news editor at Grazia. She previously worked at The Times - and has written for publications including The Telegraph, The Financial Times and gal-dem. She loves a ludicrously capacious bag (sorry, Tom!) and has never met a pair of clogs she wouldn’t wear. Find her on Instagram.