“They’re friends,” Alessandro Sartori said of music duo Faux Real as he flashed a smile.
The French-American brothers, Virgile and Elliott Arndt, entertained the crowd with their energetic dance moves, somehow both gawky and alluring. They made their way around the party, strutting to their thumping beats in bare feet before getting shirtless. They were down to their bottoms — shorts and trousers — with bucket hats, clad in the Zegna x The Elder Statesman collection.
“We love their music, and they are fantastic,” Sartori, artistic director at Zegna, had told the audience earlier as he introduced the group. He stood alongside Greg Chait, founder of The Elder Statesman. The two were in Los Angeles on Wednesday night toasting their collaboration, a line of cashmere goods.
“L.A. is the place because of Elder,” Sartori said of the choice of destination, where Chait and The Elder Statesman is based. “This is also a place that we really feel is close to us and our values.”
L.A. is their first stop before they head to Chengdu, China; and Singapore.
“It’s like seeing Zegna through the eyes of Greg and Elder,” Sartori went on, describing the work, which seamlessly brings together Zegna’s Italian craftmanship, using its Oasi cashmere, and The Elder Statesman’s vivid, psychedelic prints.
The party, with a casual dinner, was held poolside overlooking Studio City at a private residence on the edge of the Hollywood Hills. It’s the home of a friend of Chait’s, designed by modernist architect Richard Neutra.
“It reflects both of them, the atmosphere, the colors,” stylist Simona Sacchitella, Italian and living in L.A., said of the scene. Soft pink and orange neon lights glowed in the open air as guests sipped on paloma cocktails, negronis, Champagne and beer, mingling while standing on a hot pink carpet.
“I love how the colors of Elder combine with the Zegna style perfectly,” she went on of the looks, which were on display. “The collaboration is amazing. It’s a winning combination.”
“It was my first fashion week experience,” “Beef” actor Joseph Lee said of seeing the project unveiled in Europe in March.
“I have to be honest, when I first heard about the collaboration, [I thought], ‘How is this going to work?’ Because they’re such distinct designs,” Lee continued of the brands’ DNA. “But, you know, I’m a painter. And so, for me, [I appreciate] the balance of fluidity with bold and loud materials.”
He’s been busy making art these days, he said, amid the Hollywood strike. “I’ve literally been painting for three months straight. I have an exhibition coming up in Tokyo. This is the first time I’ve been around people.”
He was joined by a slew of actors: James Marsden, Evan Peters, Kumail Nanjiani, Kyle MacLachlan, Marco Pigossi, Henry Zaga, Laz Alonso, Lewis Tan and John Cho. Also out in support were singer Miguel, model Jessica Hart and basketball players Shareef O’Neal and Jalen Green.
Lee, like most, would normally be prepping for the Emmys this time of the year; he was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series for his role in the Netflix series “Beef.” Marsden is up for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his work in “Jury Dury,” while Peters is up for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for “Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.” But they’ll have to wait. Originally set for Sept. 18, the award ceremony was moved to Jan. 15.
“It feels like COVID[-19] all over again,” Lee said of this time, with the entertainment industry on pause. “I don’t know when life is going to come back.”