Pitti Uomo jumped into the new season with a graceful leap on Tuesday. For its 110th edition, the Italian menswear trade fair is focusing on “the pool” and diving into the cool water for a moment in summer temperatures before the industry’s problems resurface.
Italian menswear achieved sales of 11.2 billion euros in 2025. This corresponds to a decrease of 2.2 percent compared to the previous year, according to a study published on Monday by the Italian fashion association Confindustria Moda, which is based on data from the Milan-based market research company Sita Ricerca.
“We have history, tradition and expertise behind us, but we also have the means to face the new challenges that lie ahead and that affect the entire fashion industry,” said Antonio De Matteis, President of Pitti Immagine, in a statement on Monday. “These factors have allowed us to redefine the concept of the trade fair at every crucial moment, transforming Pitti Uomo not only into a commercial event, but also into a cultural catalyst, a place of dialogue that generates new ideas, trends and connections.”
Start of the season at the pool
At the current edition of the men’s fashion fair, around 740 brands will present their spring/summer 2027 collections until June 19th. About 45 percent of them come from abroad – including more than 30 nations, Pitti Immagine said. This time the guest designers Simone Rocha and DSM Kei Ninomiya as well as the special projects Sunflower and JiyongKim are responsible for the fashionable ass bomb.
The independent Korean label JiyongKim is presenting an exhibition during the fair that highlights the natural dyeing process using sunlight. The central installation shows a process in which a coat is exposed to weather conditions for over 100 days. With two long pools of water over which the coats hang, the label also integrates the Pitti Uomo seasonal theme “The Pool”.
This is illustrated by an installation at the Fortezza da Basso exhibition center in Florence. It was created by the Parisian designer Philéo Landowski in collaboration with the Lebanese artist Pascal Hachem and uses a network of large pipes to bring the most hidden technology behind the swimming pool to the fore.
Energetic start
On the first day, motivation was already high in the early hours of the morning, before the temperatures climbed to 30 degrees Celsius: Even before the official start at the exhibition center, Prohibited laced up their running shoes and jogged through Florence with their own running club. The mood among the around 60 participants there was so good that the waiting times at the traffic lights were used as a dance stop, the Berlin brand said afterwards.
This energy also spilled over into the trade fair, where footfall was already noticeably high on the first day. According to Marc Götz, there was more going on on this opening day than in previous years. Despite the current conditions, the general mood is positive – visitors absorb the warmth and atmosphere of the city, says the founder of the German brand Drykorn.
American Vintage is also pleased with good footfalls, reports Markus Dambacher, wholesale manager for menswear in Germany. For the French brand, which is known for its vintage look, the DACH region is the second strongest market with Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The focus is now on the US market and the Asian region. The fact that the brand has new “travel destinations” is also shown in its trade fair stand, where the collection – a mix of work and office wear as well as the “New Pajama” look – is illustrated with a luggage belt.
The trade fair newcomer Alpenhaus is currently pleased with the positive feedback and is also planning to take part in the upcoming winter edition in January. The Canadian lifestyle-oriented outerwear brand will launch in Europe in September. The focus is on Germany, France and Italy, explains founder Alan Pivovar.
Bugatti is also represented in Florence again this season. Pitti Uomo is still the most important trade fair for the brand, says Florian Wortmann, Chief Brand and Commercial Officer at Bugatti. Nevertheless, the company would be happy if, given the current mood, there was something comparable in the home market again and if it didn’t have to fly to Florence to exchange it, adds Bugatti CEO Julius Brinkmann. The brand travels to Forte dei Marmi on Wednesday for an event with a fashion show. She is currently playing at a beach resort there and is using this moment to look back and into the future.