Pitti Uomo 108 sends a positive message to the entire fashion industry

 ‘If we look at the foreign data in more detail,’ says Raffaello Napoleone, CEO of Pitti Immagine, “it is interesting to note that the European total compensates for the fluctuations, in one direction or another, of individual countries, while the strongest positive momentum comes from outside Europe: the United States and China in the first place, followed by Japan and the other Southeast Asian economies. Also interesting are the growing numbers from large markets that had previously had very limited attendance: Australia, Brazil and India. Attendance from most Eastern European and Middle Eastern countries was also very good, as was attendance from the new markets of Central Asia. This demonstrates that Pitti Uomo is not only a sensitive barometer of commercial movements but also, very often, the port where the avant-garde of new buyers of the best men’s fashion disembark.

In total, there were around 5,450 foreign buyers and just under 6,000 Italian buyers. The list of the main foreign arrivals: Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Netherlands, Japan, Turkey, United States, France, Switzerland, Belgium, China, Greece, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Austria, South Korea, Canada, Denmark and Australia.

‘It’s not just a question of numbers,’ adds Agostino Poletto, general manager of Pitti Immagine, “because the atmosphere during these four days has been truly positive, right from the very beginning. The main credit goes to the more than 740 exhibitors who believed and invested in the show, to their collections that incorporate the memory of high-end manufacturing together with innovative talent, infusing contemporary content and functional elements into the various canons of men’s clothing.”

Once again, Pitti Uomo has worked with conviction on international collaborations – from the focus on Korean fashion and lifestyle in the new CODE Korea, to Scandinavian Manifesto, the Japanese excellence of J∞QUALITY, and the creativity of China Wave. Not to mention the French brands of Promas and the Spanish brands of ICEX, as well as the support for Ukrainian fashion from Angel for Fashion.

The nearly 130 events on the calendar for this edition were a success and attracted a great deal of attention. To name just a few, the guests at the special events promoted by Pitti were highly appreciated by industry professionals: from Homme Plissé Issey Miyake, guest of honour with an extraordinary, multi-faceted event – exhibition and fashion show – at Villa La Petraia; the first fashion show by Korean brand PAF (Post Archive Faction), guest designer at Stazione Leopolda, which also hosted a special event by Japanese research brand Children of the Discordance; and the menswear debut of Italian talent Niccolò Pasqualetti, presented with a fashion show at the Teatro del Maggio that enchanted the press and buyers.