Pitti Uomo is one of menswear’s biggest events—for shows, parties, and people-watching
Pitti Uomo is the twice-yearly menswear trade show held in Florence, established in the early 1970s. Once an opportunity for high-end menswear retailers, designers, and brands to simply mingle and place orders is now a full-on frenzy of shows, presentations, and all manner of media coverage. Like Coachella and SXSW, it’s also an opportunity for amazing people-watching as attendees from all over the world descend on the city and wear their best camera-ready ensembles.
Pitti Uomo was historically about traditional menswear—suiting, tailoring, fine knits. Today it’s a broad stroke representation of modern menswear, which encompasses vintage-inspired brands like Fortela, Edward Green, and L.B.M. 1911 along with the most cutting-edge names like Telfar Clemens, the Queens (NY)-born designer who presented his concept of “fluid and ‘simplex’ (simple + complex) fashion” during a 100% unisex runway show.
Jil Sander also presented at Pitti 97, its collections now a vision of husband and wife team Luke and Lucie Meier. The FW20 menswear display was all classic Jil, with clean, draped silhouettes, staple neutrals, and artisanal details that the current designers seem to love.
Of course, the real show is outside, in between events and on the streets of Florence, where the who’s who of men’s fashion congregate. One topical trend this year was of Western inspiration: cowboy boots and hats, ponchos, and that rustic look that only comes with a ruffian lifestyle.
We also loved seeing big, bold outerwear, some of which was brightly colored, in strange textures and silhouettes, or otherwise emblazoned with logos.
There was also plenty of green, blue, and purple—lots of color in general—and an overarching sense of eclecticism that is always on display at Pitti.
Get the look with some of our Pitti Uomo worthy labels:
- Western: Greg Lauren, Fortela, Alanui, Dsquared2
- Traditional: Tagliatore, Zanone, Harris Wharf London, Massimo Alba, Eleventy
- Big + Bold: Burberry, Craig Green, Balenciaga
- Staples of Style: Maison Margiela, C.P. Company, Thom Browne
Discover more menswear fashion show recaps: Spring-Summer 2020 Menswear.
Shop italist for up to 40% off on over 200,000 up-to-the-minute luxury fashions for women, men, and kids from leading brands like Golden Goose, Fendi, Gucci, Miu Miu, and many more—direct from Italy’s finest boutiques to your door.
About the Author
Alex English is the Head of Content Marketing at italist.com, building on a lifelong passion for fashion and luxury. After publishing a lifestyle blog for nearly ten years and obtaining an MBA in Milan at SDA Bocconi, one of Europe’s top business schools, he joined the italist team in 2019. His work since then has focused on upper-funnel messaging, brand storytelling, establishing italist as a thought leader in the space, and enriching the customer experience on the platform. Find him on LinkedIn.