Scene is set for spectacular Pitti Uomo 94 show
“Pitti Uomo 94 will be a feast for the eye. A feast both visual and virtual, opening up new horizons for our senses through a barrage of optical effects that will make it a joyous, mesmerising event,” said Agostino Poletto, General Manager of show organiser Pitti Immagine, referring to P.O.P., Pitti Optical Power, the theme devised for this season by the show’s stylist Sergio Colantuono, featuring optical effects galore. As well as an eye-catching theme, the 94th edition of the menswear show, scheduled in Florence from Tuesday 12 June to Friday 15, has a very intense programme.
Pitti Uomo 94 is dedicated to the Spring/Summer 2019 collections and will showcase a total of 1,240 brands, as opposed to 1,220 for last year’s summer session. Among them, 561 come from outside Italy (45.2% of the total) and nearly 250 are making their debut at Pitti Uomo. “This is equivalent to a 15% to 18% exhibitor turnover. As usual, we received a high number of applications, with a strong presence of international exhibitors,” said Pitti Immagine CEO Raffaello Napoleone.
Napoleone expects the show to attract nearly 30,000 visitors, among them 19,400 buyers, of whom 8,400 coming from outside Italy. “Once again this year, we are benefiting from the [Italian] government’s financial support, allowing us to invite between 100 and 120 new buyers each edition, 240 in the course of the year,” added Napoleone. He is very happy with the poster advertising this edition, and with the event’s upgraded facilities and layout, making for an entirely new show experience.
Pitti Uomo 94’s first day will include several special events, notably the presentation, at a dedicated section within the Fortezza da Basso venue, of a selection of young Georgian designers and of 15 Scandinavian labels picked by Danish fashion show Revolver.
On Tuesday, Italian coats and jackets specialist Herno will celebrate its 70th anniversary with ‘Library’, a special installation at the Stazione Leopolda venue, “showcasing a series of objects which marked both our history and that of Italian tailoring,” said Claudio Marenzi, who heads his family’s company Herno with his brother. Alongside ‘Library’, Italian fabric manufacturer Reda will unveil Reda Active Lifeproof, a new functional fabric coated with a biodegradable polymer. Another event will instead mark the 50th anniversary of bridal and formal wear label Carlo Pignatelli.
“The schedule is very intense, perhaps a little too much, with so many events,” said the show’s Communication Manager Lapo Cianchi. For this summer’s session, the Florentine organisers have indeed set a very high bar, with a plethora of stars on the programme.
Starting from Roberto Cavalli, Pitti Uomo 94’s guest of honour, who will be showing again in his home town on the evening of Wednesday 13 June, unveiling the new menswear project designed by Paul Surridge. The Cavalli show will be held at a XIVth century monastery, the Certosa of Florence, perched on Monte Acuto, a hill to the south of the city. Fumito Ganryu, another of the show's special guests, will also take centre stage on Wednesday: after 13 years at Comme des Garçons, Ganryu is launching his own label by holding his maiden European event, at the Frittelli Arte Contemporanea art gallery.
Pitti Uomo’s second day will also feature shows by Birkenstock and German luxury leather goods brand MCM, the presentation/installation by Federico Curradi inside “a Florentine palazzo,” as well as the celebrations for the 40th anniversary of Lardini, the Italian high-end menswear manufacturer.
The day will culminate with a performance by British choreographer Wayne McGregor, introducing the first menswear collection designed by Christophe Copin for Cos. The H&M group’s fast-fashion brand is taking part in Pitti Uomo for the first time. The very busy Wednesday will end on a musical note, with the Moncler evening launching the ‘7 Moncler Fragment Hiroshi Fujiwara’ project.
On Thursday 14 June, London’s rising star Craig Green will top the bill with a show held at the sumptuous Giardino di Boboli park, which will be preceded by the Bed j.w. Ford event at the Stazione Leopolda, the first time Japanese designer Shinpei Yamagishi is showing with his menswear label outside his own country.
Pitti Uomo 94 will feature a host of other launches and new project presentations, such as the beachwear line by Ermenegildo Zegna, Iceberg’s new line Ice Play, the collection designed by Damir Doma for French sport brand Rossignol, the collection by Nick Wooster for Paul & Shark, the new running shoes line by Philippe Model Paris, and the launch of Sease, a new label created by Franco and Giacomo Loro Piana, heirs to the famous family of Italian fabric manufacturers. Both are sailing enthusiasts, and their menswear label, a blend of elegance and performance, is inspired by sea and mountain wear.
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