Pitti Uomo 92 to feature redesigned lay-out and more international cast

The Pitti Uomo menswear show is about to start its eagerly awaited 92nd edition, scheduled in Florence from 13th to 16th June. The benchmark men's fashion event will sport a thoroughly new look, some sections having been redesigned, and several others enlarged. Pitti Uomo is also acquiring an increasingly international vibe, with an array of signature special guests from the four corners of the world.

Jonathan Anderson will show his J.W. Anderson collection, US designer/DJ Virgil Abloh will do likewise with his couture streetwear label Off-White, Hugo Boss will make a comeback with its young line Hugo, and Christian Louboutin will take over the city’s historic Santa Maria Novella square. Besides these big names, there is much expectation for Japanese designer Yoshio Kubo, for Tommy Hilfiger, for Bally with the launch of its sneakers line, and for US accessories brand Hunting World, which will showcase at Pitti its very first ready-to-wear collection under the aegis of Yosuke Aizawa.

Not to mention the plethora of other initiatives planned for this Pitti session, which will host 1,220 labels, more than 220 of them new entries, and 540 (44.2 % of the total) of them coming from outside Italy.

Pitti Uomo 92 is dedicated to Spring/Summer 2018 menswear collections, and will also introduce among its exhibitors two major Italian textile manufacturers, Lanerossi and Vitale Barberis Canonico. Both are keen to step away from traditional textile industry events to make a direct connection with fashion distribution and gain extra visibility, something which the show is able to offer them. "[They] bring added value to the show," said Raffaello Napoleone, CEO of event organiser Pitti Immagine.

The new-look Pitti expects 30,000 visitors, who will get a first glimpse of the busy days ahead right at the entrance of the historic Fortezza da Basso venue, in the Medici pavilion, home to the section focusing on directional, avant-garde labels, called 'Touch!'. The Archivi pavilion next door hosts the luxury underground fashion section, 'Unconventional', which has doubled its surface to make room for athleisure labels too.

The 'Born in the USA' section by Liberty Fairs, dedicated to US labels, until now occupying part of one building, has moved to an independent area, the Arena Strozzi, while the much-coveted 'Futuro Maschile' section next door, dedicated to "the very latest expressions of classic contemporary chic" has also grown, adding a series of cutting-edge sportswear collections.

Also new is a greater emphasis afforded to the 'Make, the New Makers' section, dedicated to artisanal brands, which will leave the central pavilion's basement and take over a building of its own, the Sala della Ronda.

"We have redesigned the show's lay-out, making the journey through it easier and more captivating for buyers. We took this decision a year ago. We had to convince 250 established exhibitors to move. Only one has refused to do so,", said Raffaello Napoleone to FashionNetwork.com.

The menswear event has chosen flowers and their zest for life as this season's theme, with the slogan “Boom, Pitti Blooms”. The theme and lay-out redesign, supervised by fashion designer Sergio Colantuoni, have even managed to win over Milanese department store La Rinascente, which will set up a pop-up store during the show, selling an eight-product, limited-edition capsule collection.

Colantuoni himself has given a flowery flavour to the collection, which includes a handbag, sneakers and a tee-shirt, a tribute to the Pitti Uomo 92 theme. Once again this year, the show has also benefited from funding worth nearly €2 million by the Italian government, to promote the event.

Pitti Uomo 92 to feature redesigned lay-out and more international cast

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