Pitti Uomo remains “on the move”. The theme of the 109th edition “Motion” seemed to encourage visitors on the first day of the Italian menswear trade fair to discover the current highlights of the autumn/winter 2026 collections.
More than 750 brands, almost half of them from abroad, as well as special events with the international designer brands Soshiotsuki, Hed Mayner and Shinyakozuka await the audience. In addition, the trade fair organizer Pitti Immagine is offering a new segment for fragrances and Skincare is once again responding to the ongoing changes of the times.
Strikes slow the start
However, the first hurdle for some of the visitors arose before the trade fair. After strikes before the start caused delays in Italian train traffic, taxi drivers followed suit on Tuesday.
Seidensticker CEO Silvia Bentzinger also noticed problems with arrival. The team from the Bielefeld shirt specialist got to Florence safely despite difficult weather conditions with ice and slippery conditions in North Rhine-Westphalia, but were already worried about their customers before the start of the trade fair. Such difficulties have been particularly noticeable among customers from Austria and Switzerland. Nevertheless, they had a “refreshing and invigorating” first day of the trade fair and were very satisfied.
Good frequency to start with
Overall, the corridors of the main building, Padiglione Centrale, which is dedicated to classic men’s fashion, seemed busy and the stands and outdoor pavilions were well attended. Of course, it could also be partly due to the grey, rainy weather that visitors gathered in clusters and especially indoors.
However, even after dusk, the atmosphere inside and outside the grounds seemed quite cheerful. There was less going on towards the end of the day, especially in the other halls, which are dedicated to topics such as sporty outerwear, sneakers or younger brands.
In addition to Italian, Dutch, German and English were increasingly heard between the stands, which underlines the international flair of the trade fair.
Olympus seemed thrilled by the mood. The Bietigheim-Bissingen-based shirt specialist presented itself for its 75th anniversary with a new, larger stand on the ground floor of the Padiglione Centrale and reported strong footfall on the first day, explained Elias Banai, Area Sales Manager for Olymp Signature in Northern Germany. The central coffee bar would also attract many additional interested parties. It was only in the late afternoon that Banai noticed a slight decline in visitors.
One floor further down, the atmosphere was also convincing. “The first day was a very good start, a really successful start for Pitti,” said Gianni Giannini. The boss of the Italian shoe supplier Doucal’s welcomed “many visitors and customers of all kinds” who took the time to look around, browse and discover the collections, he sums up. Based on this, he expects the rest of the edition to be a “complete success”.
You can find out in our big overview on Friday which topics the fashion industry is concerned with at Pitti Uomo and which trends determine menswear in Florence.