The one date in the calendar no menswear enthusiast can forget has come around again as we bring you our take on Pitti Uomo
Pitti Uomo’s Florence menswear fair acts as a continued highlight within the international menswear calendar. More so this year than ever before with the hosting of Brioni’s 75th Birthday celebration, putting on a display of performing musicians wearing the new collection and the widely anticipated presentation of Stefeno Pillati’s (previously of Zegna and Yves Saint Laurent) new label Random Identities, combining monochrome colour palates and stark detailing.
What to expect from the unexpected Pitti Uomo
This year, Pitti Uomo, kick-started the Italian Fashion Week season in style with the annual menswear fair packed full with special guests, spectacular presentations and lo and behold one of two cowboy hats.
The mammoth occasion that is the Pitti Uomo trade show was made up of 1,200 exhibitors, from Jil Sander to Telfar, attracting more than 21,000 buyers all of whom brought their own style and something new to the presentation stage. Raffaello Napoloeone, CEO of Pitti Immagine the company behind Pitti Uomo, explained “Florence has to play a role of a platform from which you launch new projects or present new ideas” and after a sartorially stacked few days in London, menswear fashion leaders gathered in Florence to do exactly that.
Pitti Street Style
As per expectation, the biannual fair maintained its decadence and outlandish fashion choices, welcoming an array of generously patterned, well layered and suited and booted lads from all over the world.
There was an assortment of covetable loafers, finely tailored wool, sophisticated leather, patterned shirts and, of course, perfectly groomed beards. But, looking closely within the assembling mix of dapper delights, was the prevailing element of cowboy style, riding back into fashion ready for the Rodeo. Scattered amongst the arriving looks were signature accessories paying homage to the old west, with prominent mustaches, flannel shirts, and both cowboy hats and boots combined with smart tailoring to present a fresh take on Rodeo fashion. Does this mean we will soon be hanging up our trainers for a signature Cuban heel?
The Runway
As the guests arrived and the designers showcased, Pitti demonstrated the wonderful power of brand storytelling with Santa Maria Novella runway heaped with gigantic piles of marigolds and husband-and-wife designers Luke and Lucie Meier presenting pared-down but lavish classic tailoring. In all, Pitti Uomo is not about the big names but more about crafting a narrative “We don’t want to enter into the typical fashion week strategy,” says Raffaello Napoloeone and as always Pitti Uomo, stratospherically championed bringing something new to the fashion table this year.
