More foreign buyers but fewer Italians at Pitti Uomo no. 106

“The first figures on the final attendance indicate that after last June’s big increase of 20% over 2022, foreign buyers registered a slight increase to 5,300. The confirmation of international buyers – those who make the market and indicate the direction – are important indicators for exhibitors, they give confidence and perspective. The number of Italian turnouts, on the other hand, does not confirm the 2023 results, they are down by 7%, but I have to say that this was widely expected, considering the closure of so many shops in the last two or three years and the lacklustre trend in domestic consumption. The idea circulating among operators and commentators is that – counting on a relative easing of geopolitical tensions and stimuli to the economy by economic and monetary institutions – we will have to wait until 2025 for a decisive recovery”: the words of Raffaello Napoleone, CEO of Pitti Immagine, give a clear picture of the latest edition of the Florentine exhibition dedicated to high-end fashion for men.

The figures recorded a total of 11,500 buyers, with the foreign share reaching 46 per cent. In total, visitors to the Fortezza exceeded 15,000.

Therefore, to be noted – alongside the confirmation of France, the United States and the UK -, the growth of Central-Northern Europe (Germany at +15% with about 680 buyers), very good performance of Holland, Austria, Belgium and the Baltic countries), the surprising increase of Eastern Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Serbia, Hungary, Bulgaria), the consolidation of the Asian recovery (also for newcomers such as Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Mongolia) and the exploit of key markets such as Turkey and Kazakhstan.

The difficulties were mainly registered on the domestic market, with weak consumption dynamics. We all need to reflect and understand how to open a new phase of growth and confidence,” stressed Antonio De Matteis, president of Pitti Immagine: entrepreneurial and labour representatives, the Italian government, European institutions… The Pitti team is inexhaustible in research and scouting, providing services to operators, devising special events and communicating. But all of us, starting with myself, know how far we still have to go”.

An edition of Pitti Uomo that also featured a rich calendar of events, in the Fortezza and in the city, attended by over 1,000 journalists and media operators who came to Florence. Starting with Paul Smith’s special opening event, Guest Designer Marine Serre’s fashion show, Plan C’s debut menswear presentation and Pierre-Louis Mascia’s first ever fashion show. Internationality was also a distinctive feature of the many collaborations and special projects – from Scandinavian Manifesto to J Quality and the new China Wave – successfully presented by Pitti Immagine in the Fortezza.