The Florentine platform dedicated to menswear confirms the predictions made on the eve of the event, and ends its 91st edition registering a total of 36 thousand visitors, including 24,300 buyers, 8,800 of which were from abroad:
We are very pleased with this edition of Pitti Uomo – says Raffaello Napoleone, CEO of Pitti Immagine – and truly satisfied with the widely positive feedback we have received from the majority of exhibitors and top international stores and sales outlets regarding the organization, quality and stylistic variety of the collections, the correlation between supply and demand, and the special events. With regards to buyer attendance, I am very satisfied with the foreign participation, which confirmed the very high levels recorded at the last winter edition and, all in all, I think that the Italian results were good as well, limiting their downtrend to -3.5% compared to January 2016, notwithstanding the situation of persisting difficulty in the domestic market.
Foreign buyers came from 100 different foreign countries, with Germany, the UK, France, Spain, Netherlands, China and the United States at the top of the attendance table. Moreover, there was a recovery by Russia (+14%) and Ukraine, while Turkey fell (-31%); instead, the Northern European markets maintained a constant growth trend, and new destinations like Canada, Israel, and South Africa made their appearance at the fair.
High praise by buyers for the Pitti Uomo selection, which is always attentive to research and quality: the FW 2017-18 collections expressed a classic equilibrium between tradition and innovation, between an evergreen Brit Style and mountain inspiration, from military chic to Seventies vintage, with globetrotter highlights and attention to a bespoke artisanal style for accessories. “Athleisure” and a-gender, the trend for avant-garde, combine luxury and comfort, mixing them with technology, giving life to a versatile metropolitan style of great allure.
Finally, informal becomes more sustainable, presenting an “urban nature” style inspired by the surfaces and palettes of nature. Military highlights are confirmed also here, as a trend that is presented across-the-board for the entire selection. Footwear was another great protagonist of the Florentine show, with mountain, military, and country-inspired boots, and Seventies-inspired vintage and shabby-chic boots, next to classic traditional footwear: Oxfords, derby shoes and monk straps in exquisite leathers, Brogues with thick outsoles and rounder shapes, sophisticated slippers, mules, and timeless sneakers, warmed also by the heat of wool and shearling.
Another absolute protagonist was the backpack, proposed in both precious and elegant formal versions, as fertile terrain for creative experimentation in the informal world. Enriching the selection was the full calendar of events and special projects that involved many prestigious men’s brands: Paul Smith, Golden Goose Deluxe Brand, the tribute to Ciro Paone founder of Kiton, Tim Coppens, Cottweiler for Reebok, the fashion show of Stefano Ricci; the shows of Pitti Italics with Sansovino 6, Lucio Vanotti and Carlo Volpi; the initiatives studied to promote emerging brands and talents in the men’s world of fashion, and the young third-millennium artisans from My Factory, Make, Unconventional and Open, together with the Latest Fashion Buzz…
