Pitti Uomo promises “dazzling” 88th edition 

By

Dominique Muret

Published
May 14, 2015

"Pitti Uomo 88 will be a high-voltage edition. Visitors are going to get a big jolt in terms of fashion and energy," said Agostino Poletto, deputy general manager of Pitti Immagine, the organizer of the trade show that has become a leading international menswear event. 

“This Pitti will be intense, with a great deal of new plans,” added Pitti CEO Raffaello Napoleone, who has announced that Pitti is organizing a game that was a pre-cursor to soccer, with players dressed in Renaissance-style costumes, to be played on the opening evening of June 15 in the beautiful Piazza Santa Croce, reviving a Florentine tradition dating back to 1530.

The president of Pitti Immagine, Gaetano Marzotto, went further by referring to "a dazzling Pitti". "With the help of public institutions and the government, we expect to bring hundreds of new buyers to the show, especially from new countries in central Asia, as well as from South Korea and Japan. Pitti has become a true bridge for Italian SMEs that are little known abroad," he said. 

“We are then going to bring these buyers to Milan by offering them a spot on the great fashion train, chartered especially for them on June 19, at the close of Pitti and the opening of Milan Fashion Week. We finally managed to organize a genuine men's fashion week in Italy," he continued. “Many events will overlap in between Florence and Milan, with the presence of such young designers as Arthur Arbesser, who will be showing for the first time in Milan.” 

For its summer edition, to be held from June 16-19, the event is set to host 1,150 brands, as compared to 1,100 last year, including 460 from abroad (40% of the total). There are some major changes in organization on the program and a dense schedule marked by the 88th edition’s theme and slogan: "That's Pitticolor! "

Building on the transgender trend that has been emerging on the catwalks in recent seasons, Pitti Uomo has decided to get rid of Pitti W, the mini show dedicated to women's pre-collections held as part of the larger event. In its place there will be a new space entitled "Open", which will host some twenty brands, offering "accessories and clothing designed to be worn by either him or her.” “Unisex is the biggest trend at the moment, moving beyond the traditional boundary between man and woman," said Agostino Poletto. 

Other changes: the expansion and transfer of Touch!, the space dedicated to men’s avant-garde brands, in the former pavilion occupied by Pitti W. With a surface of 2000 m2, the area will bring together nearly 100 exhibitors, including 70% from abroad. The section Futuro Maschile, meanwhile, devoted to classic contemporary, is doubling its size to welcome some 80 brands.

Finally, in the area Maschile Futuro, the show will host a pop-up store: #Goldmaniac, offering visitors (buyers and journalists) a capsule collection composed of ten iconic pieces, from t-shirts to glasses, produced by a variety of exhibitors selected by a prestigious store. The Milanese retailer Antonia will kick off the project, which will be carried out at each edition with a new large multibrand partner. 

Pitti Immagine has also announced a new collaboration with an international brand: American Saks Fifth Avenue, which will celebrate "The Sartorial Italian Style", showcasing Italian SME collections in the vitrines of its 40 stores for three weeks beginning on June 21. A similar project was launched two years ago with the Japanese brand Isetan that has been extended for two years.

Countless initiatives are expected at Pitti Uomo 88. As previously announced, the guest of honor is Moschino homme, which will show on the evening of Thursday, June 18. There will be two additional special installations at the show: that of the young British talent, Thomas Tait, and that of the sculptor-designer Carlo Brandelli for the brand Kilgour. Also not to be missed: "Il Signor Nino", the exhibition devoted to Nino Cerruti. 

Also worth mentioning: Milan Vukmirovic’s fashion show for Ports 1961, the 40th anniversary of CP Company, a collective show entitled “Constellation Africa" by four African designers organized as part of the ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative. Finally, in terms of young talents, there will be the presentation of the first complete collection by Casamadre as well as the debut of Louis Leeman, the footwear brand by the Dutch designer Louis Leeman and Florentine Erica Pelosini.