In conversation with Ermenegildo Zegna's Alessandro Sartori

More than 80 percent of men said that they cannot express themselves openly in society while half said that they feel pressured to be masculine, according to a global survey about modern masculinity released on International Men's Day on Nov 19.

Titled "What Makes a Man", the survey was initiated by Italian luxury menswear house Ermenegildo Zegna and conducted by consultancy firm Kantar. The respondents included 3,000 men and 750 women from five metropolises including Shanghai, London, and New York.

"Vulnerability", "insecurity" and "conformism" were the three qualities that men around the world most fear to be labeled with. Two thirds of male interviewees were fine with having a skincare regime. One out of every two men interviewed also indicated that pink and skinny jeans were deemed to be "uncool".

With regard to the question of women being paid more than men, Chinese men were more accepting than their counterparts from Britain and the United States.

In an exclusive interview with China Daily, Alessandro Sartori, creative director of Ermenegildo Zegna, explains what has inspired the century-old brand to commission the survey and how the findings may influence the company, one of the world's largest in luxury menswear sector.

Singled out by the Business of Fashion as one of the most influential figures of the $2.4-trillion fashion industry, the 53-year-old Italian has worked with Zegna since he graduated from design school in 1990. He once led LVMHowned menswear brand Berluti before returning to Zegna in 2016 as its artistic helmsman.

Why did Zegna commission this survey?

At Zegna, we take care of men before dressing them, trying to figuring out how they think and live. As a designer, unsurprisingly, the most commonly asked question I get from people is "What should I wear or shop for this season or day?" I found that I could reply such questions by taking a few steps back, learning about what the person feels, or how he wants to look. The garment one wears should reflect who the person is. It's quite a simple but important and often neglected thing.

Gender is one of the first things that define a person. Over time, the social definition of gender could change and evolve. It matters more what you think about your gender, and we want to figure out what most of you think.

What do you find to be the most surprising finding from the survey?

The fact that so many men, regardless of age, nationality and other factors, feel pressured and unable to express themselves.

What do you think is the reason behind this?

It's coming from the past, from conventions and the desire to not appear different. In many parts of the world, men still need to look strong in order to look perfect.

What is the significance and purpose of discussing masculinity?

We think the most important thing at the moment is to start a conversation to show that there are diversified and different opinions. The goal of starting this conversation is more to ask questions and initiate discussions than to seek answers. If there is anything purposeful to be expected from the conversation, it's that we want to deliver the message to people that it's totally okay to be different. We don't judge one class or the other. We dress multiple generations. The shows, the images and campaigns Zegna have been doing are always about different characters and the beauty behind them. I always tell our casting team that I want a strong group of people with different characters, faces from different background.

But "strong" is a subjective notion. How would you define it?

For me, being strong is about having a personality. It doesn't matter whether you are 28 or 85.

How would this conversation influence your creative work?

There are different layers in fashion design. First, it always should be based on beauty and quality. But as designers, we also try to create things that can withstand the test of time, and that's when you need to know more about the people you are dressing. We want to create new things only when necessary, as an expression of today's style and spirit.

Does it mean people might be encouraged to buy less?

Yes. It's about buying less but buying better. We don't believe the business will suffer because of this. We believe that by offering people better, they would be aspired to keep pursuing what's better than the better.

This approach is also a respect for our time, efforts and the money of our customers. It's also in our company's DNA to think long term, like investing in innovative materials. The idea of fashion is changing. It can be and has to be sustainable.

How has the dynamics of men's fashion evolved?

Men used to buy purely for functional purposes. Today, they are also buying based on their emotions, just like women do. Men may still go to a shop for a coat, but they may leave with a coat made from really nice fabric or fitting because it touches them emotionally.

Fashion photography for men is also evolving. Before, the image of men in fashion photography is always a handsome man standing next to a fancy car or sexy lady. But now, it is changing and incorporating images of crying and sad men.