From 13th to 16th June 2023, the 104th edition of the kermesse dedicated to the 2024 summer anticipations of high-end men’s fashion and lifestyle was staged at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence, with 11,900 buyers and over 17,000 total visitors. Italians exceeded 6,700 attendees (+6%), while foreigners numbered around 5,200 (+24%), representing 43% of the total, with Asian buyers returning in force. The main foreign markets were, in order: Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Japan, Spain, Turkey, USA, Switzerland, France, China, Belgium and South Korea.
“The final attendance figures, with Italian buyers up by 6% and foreign buyers up by 24% compared to June 2022, first of all reward the commitment and ability to renew shown by the 825 exhibitors at this Pitti Uomo and confirm a recovery path for the Show, which is gradually returning to its pre-crisis dimensions. This is also confirmed by the many initiatives and events in the city, which numbered over 110. It is not just a question of numbers: the quality of the buyers was high, the best were seen in the Fortezza, motivated and intent on bringing customers back to their shops and department stores. The central element of the 104th edition of Pitti Uomo, beyond the consolidation of the European figure, is the return in force of the Asian operators, who reached a total of approximately 700 attendees,” commented Raffaello Napoleone, CEO of Pitti Immagine.
With this edition, Pitti Uomo has once again confirmed itself as a hotbed of young talent and innovation from all over the world. From Japan with J Quality Factory Project to South Africa with designer Chuulap, to Michigan with the young brands of Detroitissimi and Northern Europe with Scandinavian Manifesto, to China with the knitwear talents presented by the Consinee spinning mill, thanks also to the support of Fondazione CR Firenze. Not forgetting the 10 emerging designers of S|Style, whose experiments in sustainable fashion had as an exceptional partner Kering MIL, a research centre committed to reducing environmental impact.
As always, there were numerous events on the calendar: from the prestigious FENDI fashion show, which presented its new collection and the new factory opened in the surroundings of Florence, to the eclectic creativity of Guest Designer Eli Russell Linnetz of ERL, who from California brought to Florence not only his first ever fashion show, but also his creative sign in the Fortezza with the Make Believe installation, realised with the special contribution of the Florence Chamber of Commerce.
“It was a Pitti Uomo where companies, buyers, journalists and all the operators who came to Florence really took up the invitation to ‘Play your Game at Pitti’, the theme of this edition.” Underlined Agostino Poletto, Director General of Pitti Immagine.
