This week at the Pitti Uomo men’s fashion trade fair, the brands gave a first glimpse of the upcoming Fall/Winter 2026 collections. At the start of the season in Florence, 758 brands are presenting themselves, 47 percent of which came from abroad – more than ever before.
The increasing international presence is reinforced by guest designers such as Japanese brands Soshiotsuki, Shinyakozuka and Paris-based Hed Mayner, and areas aimed at different regions such as China, South Korea and Scandinavia.
Pitti remains internationally relevant – decline among German buyers
However, there is a small number of exhibitors overall. Last January there were still 770 brands exhibiting. But this is also due to a smaller area on the exhibition grounds, where construction work is taking place in several places, Raffaello Napoleone explained to FashionUnited.
The CEO of the trade fair organizer and his team are always optimizing the various formats. In the future, this could also mean that the Pitti Bimbo children’s fashion fair will be integrated into the menswear concept. The reason for this is that many buyers who serve both areas decide on one event and do not make the trip to Florence twice, says Napoleone. In addition, the international focus is to be expanded even further.
Overall, the trade fair boss drew a positive conclusion on Thursday afternoon, after the two strongest days were already behind him. According to a statement from Napoleone, the number of international visitors on Thursday afternoon reached approximately the level of the January 2025 edition, which was 5,000.
“If we think about the many international tensions and the reluctance with which the market is moving, this is a result of great importance,” said the Pitti boss.
Among the visitor countries heavily represented at the trade fair, increases were noted in buyers from the United Kingdom, the United States, the Netherlands, Turkey, Japan and Greece, while Germany, Spain and France recorded slight declines. The numbers among Italian buyers are also declining, according to reports from Florence. According to preliminary estimates, there will ultimately be around 7,600 people.
“This corresponds, let us not forget, to the problematic picture that market observers paint with regard to national distribution and retail,” said Napoleone. Meanwhile, there has been an increase in visitors from Northern Europe and further afield such as Brazil, Mexico, Israel and Canada.
2026 remains a big question mark for Napoleone, especially when you look at the latest geopolitical changes. The mood at the trade fair itself was positive, even if the coming weeks are entering a hot phase for the brands and retailers and topics such as cautious consumption or a relatively warm winter resonate. Even on Thursday, the frequencies in the halls and throughout the grounds were still high – after two very strong days. The central topics included new formal wear and dealing with the changeable weather, which also played a role.
New Formal Wear
As has been shown in recent seasons, more and more classic providers are leaning towards the full look. They rely on “mix and match”, as Roy Robson says. The suit is used as a basis and the jacket is sometimes replaced by a casual overshirt or a blouson, reports Fabrizio Rojo, who heads the German sales team of the Lüneburg menswear specialist. Different fabrics, which can be a little more technical, or styles such as corduroy and houndstooth offer additional scope for the new wardrobe.
The shirt specialist Olymp, which no longer presents its line of shirts and the slightly looser casual approach separately on the shop floor in order to promote the new formal wear among customers, presented, among other things, overshirts made of cashmere and Japanese knitted shirts as well as a corduroy suit in an elegant bordeaux. Overall, the German company was able to maintain its price levels for this season, confirmed Elias Banai, Area Sales Manager for Olymp Signature in Northern Germany.
In addition to corduroy, flannel and vertical stripes are also popular themes that can be found in a wide range of brands, from classic looks to streetwear brands: the latter are increasingly trying to move away from the cliché and become more dressed up. A good example of this is Prohibited, which plays with preppy and old money aesthetics in its current collection “Back in the Days” as well as in previous seasons, without drifting too far into classic menswear. The Berlin label represents a sporty vintage vibe, which includes casual football jerseys and a knit tracksuit as well as a hunting-inspired wax jacket, a flannel shirt and a chic striped shirt.
The Bielefeld shirt specialist Seidensticker also shows a mix of classic and modern in the younger studio line. While on the one hand you can be inspired by the main line of shirts and give it a fresh touch, completely new accents such as wool for coats and silver-metallic pieces that were not previously found in the collection are also popular. The bestsellers currently include casual, cropped suit trousers, says creative director Marc Biggemann.
In terms of color, Bordeaux is particularly impressive in addition to the typical, reserved tones. A color that was seen not only at Studio Seidensticker but also at many other brands such as the Danish label Anerkjendt, the German men’s retailer Dressler, the outerwear brands Woolrich and Superdry, but also Roy Robson and Olymp.
The color was used, among other things, on half-zip sweaters, pieces that you can’t ignore this season. From sporty-casual to elegant, it finds its place everywhere and also opens up numerous styling options for layering.
Outerwear answers
Layering is also many men’s brands’ answer to the changeable weather. In particular, those brands that do not have any strong ambitions in the area of outerwear rely instead on lighter coats, as Roy Robson showed at the show.
The onion look is also used by outerwear specialists, as Bogner proves. The Munich-based clothing provider presented some highlight looks that ranged between skiwear and ready-to-wear. Baselayers and turtlenecks were presented under overshirts under various sporty jackets. The eye-catcher of the collection was a ski jacket made of denim and the matching trousers, which have all the necessary functions for the slopes, explained Michael Wrobel, Director of Retail at Bogner.
The outerwear brand Halo, which is part of the Danish sportswear company Hummel, debuted at Pitti Uomo and brought the new premium capsule “Special Force Lab” with it. A waterproof, red down jacket from the brand attracted everyone’s attention and even tempted visitors to take photos with the campaign images, reported brand manager Nicolaj Tolstrup.
Research and innovation were the “central themes” of the current edition, said Napoleone. Some of the jacket experts in particular proved this. In the Chinese pavilion “China Wave”, the clothing company Septwolves presented some of its new jacket technologies. These include, among other things, an inflatable hood that can be converted into a neck roll, as well as Bluetooth headphones integrated into the sleeve.
Meanwhile, Save the Duck had its feather-free jackets with them, which are becoming increasingly lighter and can withstand difficult weather conditions and cold. Brand new is the Italian brand’s own shoe collection, which was developed with a local producer and is based on the outerwear collection.
Under a new flag
Bogner returned to Pitti Uomo this season after more than ten years – now with the new investor Katjes. However, the confectionery manufacturer does not have any direct influence on fashion and leaves the team to do their work, says Wrobel. But there is a constant exchange and there is definitely interest from the new majority owner in the fashion company’s processes.
The Woolrich brand, which was originally founded in the USA, also has a new owner since the end of last year: the Italian clothing group BasicNet, which also includes brands such as Kappa, K-Way and Sebago. He is using the trade fair and has announced his strategy, which is based primarily on the extensive brand archive.
Meanwhile, Superdry presented itself with a re-branding as Superdry & Co, which includes a new logo, a new lettering and a preppy look. The ‘Co’ is intended to illustrate the British brands’ ambitions to present other brands under the corporate umbrella, explains Superdry CEO Julian Dunkerton. This includes the recently acquired license for the Bench brand, which is now set to begin its comeback, as well as possible future projects.
Pitti Beauty
The organizers of Pitti Uomo are continually pushing the trade fair concept forward and enriching it with new ideas. In the current issue, the ‘Hi Beauty’ section, which is dedicated to niche perfumery, provided a breath of fresh air. A total of around 30 fragrance brands presented their products at Pitti Uomo, including Saranghaezo.
The Korean label was represented at the trade fair by its European sales partner Fluxus International. Fluxus founder Olivier-Charles Degen drew a positive conclusion after the first two days and was happy about the many interested parties.
It is difficult for a niche perfume to open up new markets and customers because the market is overcrowded. The trade fair is therefore a good option to reach other segments such as the fashion industry. Small concept stores in particular that offer a special selection are interested, but they also want to reach larger retailers more and more.