For SS26 ZEGNA collaborates with James Blake on a short film directed by Boramy Viguier. Set in Dubai, the film captures a full day with the musician, offering a quiet yet immersive look at his creative process and the atmosphere leading up to ZEGNA’s runway show at the Dubai Opera.
The film begins with early morning light cutting across sand and steel. Blake moves through the empty city, caught between vast desert and towering glass structures. The contrasts define the visual language: open landscapes meet the rhythm of an active metropolis. Blake walks calmly through each scene, carrying his thoughts with him.
As the film shifts toward the show venue, the narrative slows. Inside the grand space of the Dubai Opera, Blake rehearses on piano. Alone in the hall, his voice fills the room. The moment feels unhurried and intimate. “Creativity is often just about dreaming up future scenarios,” he says. “But that can take you away from the moment.” For Blake, performance offers an anchor. It brings him back into the present.
Later, he steps away from the city and into the desert. The space invites reflection, not performance. With no one else in frame, Blake shares thoughts on independence, creativity, and freedom. “If you’re empowered and liberated, then that’s how you feel when you make music,” he explains. These words connect to ZEGNA’s approach for the season, focusing on purpose and clarity, not excess.
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Throughout, the film uses Blake’s presence as a way to explore the energy of Dubai and the ideas behind the ZEGNA SS26 collection. His path mirrors ZEGNA’s: one grounded in precision, openness, and control over creative direction.
Blake’s involvement echoes the long-term vision behind Oasi Zegna, not just a physical location, but a guiding idea. Here, the film shows how design and music share common ground when created with care and intention.
