Pitti Uomo 108: plenty of entertaining stands but transport strike spoils the party

Pitti Uomo’s 108th edition came to an end on a subdued note. The Florentine menswear show had a high turnout on the first two days, but from Thursday visitors were few and far between. The reason was a transport strike scheduled for Friday. That said, on the third day, Thursday, the organisers reported a 3% rise in visiting foreign buyers compared to the June 2024 edition. This 3% increase was confirmed by the show’s final figures, but the number of Italian buyers attending the show was slightly lower than last year.

In total, 15,000 visitors attended Pitti Uomo 108, including 11,400 buyers who came to view the collections presented by the show’s 740 exhibitors, of which 45% came from outside Italy. The organisers’ final press release indicated that 5,400 buyers came from abroad, and 6,000 from the host country. Attendance from Europe was on par with the last edition, while the most significant rise in numbers came from the USA and China, followed by Japan and South-East Asia. Also on the rise was the number of buyers from Australia, Brazil and India, from Eastern Europe, the Middle East and some of central Asia’s new markets.

The first half of the show, on Tuesday and Wednesday, got off to a buoyant start, with exhibitors and visitors keeping very busy, especially the former. Some exhibitors indeed pulled out all the stops to attract buyers to unique, high-impact stands, playing the party card or going for a sporting vibe. Their efforts were rewarded by the influx of buyers, especially from outside Italy. However, not all exhibitors shared the same enthusiasm, and it looked as though they would be eventually split into two quite different camps, some of them being extremely satisfied, while others extremely disappointed.

Exhibitors surpassed themselves in terms of stand layout and activities. Big striped sunshades and sunbeds were everywhere on the Fortezza da Basso venue’s main central courtyard, and there was an all-pervasive holiday atmosphere. No stand was without a DJ, live music, or a catering corner. For example, Sun68 transformed this season’s stand in a pizzeria equipped with small round tables and red and white checked tablecloths.

In the grand central pavilion, the bar operated by denim brand Roy Rogers was never empty, a long queue of visitors lining up every day by its entrance. They all wanted to taste the delicious affogato ice cream served by Vivoli, a long-established Florentine ice-cream parlour, with which Roy Rogers has designed a capsule collection. The affogato, vanilla ice-cream drowned in coffee, is a Vivoli speciality.

Swimwear brand MC2 Saint Barth transformed its stand into a bona fide Greek tavern with turquoise tables and chairs, while a guitarist and two dancers made sure the party vibe was always on.

To make the atmosphere even more Mediterranean, some, like Kiton, even transported a small cabin cruiser and oodles of fine sand on the Fortezza’s concrete esplanade. Neapolitan menswear brand Kiton presented its first nautical project at Pitti Uomo, a collaboration with boat-builders Sacs Marine to customise a special model of their Strider 13 cruiser. Kiton has also launched the KNT Marina capsule collection, featuring lightweight beachwear, and announced the opening of a store in Porto Cervo, Sardinia.

Sport is indeed the season’s leitmotif, as illustrated by the show’s theme, ‘Pitti Bike’. The organisers incorporated within the event their new trade show, Becycle, dedicated to the world of cycling. It was part of the ‘I Go Out’ section on contemporary outdoor apparel and equipment, whose setting was redesigned for this edition, using light metallic structures, climbing ropes and tent canvas. A selection of major cycling brands like Colnago, Passoni, Ashmei and Pas Normal Studios were exhibiting in this section, and even staged a cycling parade on the venue’s outer perimeter.

Also highly successful was the stand of Italian sportswear brand ellesse, which installed a vast tennis court in one of the venue’s outdoor spaces, organising amusing tournaments played with huge rackets and balls. Of course, the stand also featured a DJ, music and a bar.