For its 93rd edition, Pitti Uomo, the menswear tradeshow, which opens on January 9 and runs till January 12 in Florence, Italy, has announced 'film' as this year's theme and another roster of newcomers and big events which are expected to transform the show's venue Fortezza da Bassa ‘into a prestigious global platform, chosen by brands for the international unveiling of new trends and unpublished projects,’.
Showcasing latest in men's autumn/winter 2018-19 collections, the upcoming show will bring together 1,230. Among these, 541 will be international (some 44 per cent of the total) and 227 will be either making their debut or be returning after a break. One such case is that of Corneliani, which quit Pitti seven years ago, opting instead to showcase in Milan. Joining this season is Gazzarini, who for a long time has showcased in Milan and returns with a special presentation-cum-party on the opening day. Also returning to the show is Paul & Shark, Fratelli Rossetti and Pepe Jeans London, which will celebrate its 45th anniversary during the week. So also will Dutch jeans brand Denham, set to commemorate its tenth birthday at the Florence show.
American menswear label Brooks Brothers has chosen Pitti to celebrate its milestone, its bicentenary, on, January 10 in the grand Salone dei Cinquecento de Palazzo Vecchio (the historic palace of the Florence city hall). The program includes a first-ever runway show by Brooks Brothers and an exhibition on the brand.
Karl Lagerfeld is another headliner to watch, and will show a preview presentation of his new menswear project. Of interest are the show's guests of honour for this edition: Jun Takahashi from the brand Undercover and designer Takahiro Miyashita, who heads up Takahiromiyashita The Soloist. Other highlights include Italian brand Malibu 1992, which has been renamed M1992 and the first-ever runway show from Luca Magliano, the winner of design competition Who’s On Next Uomo 2017, with his namesake label Magliano.
Korean designers Beyond Closet and Bmuet(te) are also set to star, alongside new Japanese talent Body Song, Children of the Discordance, Digawel, F/CE, Kuon and Soe. Other headline events include the announcement of the Woolmark prize men's and women's winners and the opening of a new space featuring designs from Finland. There will also be a number of parallel events taking place in the city with the opening of new stores by Moncler and Ermanno Scervino and the Gucci Garden which will double as both store and restaurant for the luxury brand.
