From June 13th to 16th, the 104th Pitti Uomo Florence Men’s Fashion Exhibition was held at the Fortezza da Basso Exhibition Center in Florence, lasting for four days.
This edition of the exhibition featured a total of 825 exhibitors (up from 789 in the previous edition) who came to Florence, with 41% from regions outside Italy. The official website listed nearly 40 countries and regions, including Germany, Denmark, Sweden, China, New Zealand, and more.
Representing Mainland China at this exhibition were Consinee Group, a yarn manufacturer from Ningbo, and WOW-IN, a designer brand from Xiamen.
German Impressions: Quality and Style
For the first time since the pandemic, German men’s fashion brand Drykorn returned to Pitti Uomo, showcasing its latest 2024 Spring/Summer collection. Drykorn is renowned for its carefully selected fabrics, minimalist urban style designs, and reasonable prices, with product prices on the official website ranging from 40 to 300 euros.
Founded in 1996, Drykorn has evolved from an initial pants collection into a clothing brand that encompasses men’s and women’s wear, accessories, footwear, and more. Drykorn places the unique beauty of each customer at the heart of the brand, and its slogan “FOR BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE” reflects its approach to fashion: allowing customers to express their unique personalities and create their own beauty.
Sebastian Ross, Global Sales Director of the brand, stated, “Returning to Pitti Uomo, we have ambitious plans for international expansion in the coming years.”
Established in 1925, German suit brand CARL GROSS focuses on tailoring and details, aiming to create formal suits with Italian style and German quality.
CARL GROSS has a sub-brand called Club of Gents. The brand’s representatives at the exhibition explained that the distinction between the two brands is not based on age but on style and body type. CARL GROSS leans towards formal wear, while Club of Gents embodies a more casual and fashionable style, suitable for slender body types. Around 90% of CARL GROSS’s fabrics come from Italy, with production taking place in Eastern Europe and other regions.
Currently, the CARL GROSS brand has three lines: the modern-cut CARL GROSS line, the sustainable CONCEPT GREEN line, and the high-quality BLACK LINE.
Brand representatives also revealed that this marks the brand’s return to Pitti Uomo after more than a decade.
The name of the German men’s fashion brand 04651/ A TRIP IN A BAG consists of two parts. The first part is the telephone area code of Sylt Island in Germany, and the second part expresses the brand’s attitude towards life: clothes that can be packed into a bag, initiating a weekend trip. The brand draws inspiration from Nordic fashion, capturing the essence of the landscapes and life of Sylt Island to create unique maritime-inspired casual menswear.
04651/ A TRIP IN A BAG often employs comfortable materials such as Merino wool, organic cotton, linen, and corduroy, paired with soft, elegant shades of blue, gray, and white, crafting cardigans, turtleneck sweaters, hoodies, and other relaxed and laid-back clothing.
Simplicity in Design, Natural Fabrics: The Nordic Influence Continues
As always, the Scandinavian Manifesto zone was set up at this year’s exhibition, featuring 10 brands from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
Founded in 2022, Danish designer brand PAST TENSE presented their second collection for the spring/summer 2024 season, titled “Lucid Dreams.” The brand, co-founded by Creative Director Victor Lindh and Business Director Adrien Forray, features a style that is simple and classic, centering around self-expression and appreciation for quality products. Instead of chasing trends, PAST TENSE takes a slower approach to fashion, drawing inspiration from past knowledge, traditions, and luxury craftsmanship to interpret contemporary style in a modern and unique way.
PAST TENSE Spring/Summer 2024 Collection
PAST TENSE Fall/Winter 2023 Collection
Copenhagen-based brand Rue De Tokyo combines Japan’s unparalleled attention to detail and pursuit of perfection with France’s commitment to craftsmanship and respect for art.
Established in 2016 by David Andersson Sahlin, Rue De Tokyo draws inspiration from his life in Paris, Florence, and Copenhagen, creating natural, elegant, and classic clothing using organic materials and premium textiles.
For the spring/summer 2023 collection, Rue De Tokyo utilized materials like linen and cotton, offering classic cuts and slightly oversized silhouettes in muted colors such as beige and brown, conveying a sense of comfortable leisure.
Rue De Tokyo Spring/Summer 2023 Collection
Danish fashion brand Norse Projects was founded by designer Tobia Sloth, aiming to skillfully merge streetwear and workwear.
In the spring/summer 2023 collection, Norse Projects utilized materials like cotton, linen, and nylon to craft shirts, shorts, knitwear, accessories, and more. The color palette was inspired by the beaches of the North Sea, and the prints were drawn from local plants found along the Danish coastline.
Norse Projects also collaborated with American accessories brand New Era, introducing the latter’s classic 59FIFTY Retro Crown hats.
Norse Projects Spring/Summer 2023 Collection
Norse Projects x New Era Collaboration Hat
Founded in 2008, Danish fashion brand Han Kjøbenhavn is known for its avant-garde and uncompromising creativity. The brand offers menswear, womenswear, and accessories, presenting a sculptural texture that empowers the human form.
For the spring/summer 2023 collection titled “Chthonic Penumbra,” founder and creative director Jannik Wikkelsø Davidsen showcased dark beauty through curved and straight silhouettes, leather materials, and more.
Han Kjøbenhavn recently released a collaboration collection with the video game “Diablo IV,” continuing its dark and edgy design approach.
Han Kjøbenhavn x Diablo IV Collaboration Collection
Swedish menswear brand Stenströms was founded in 1899, with founder August Stenström renowned for his exceptional shirt-making craftsmanship. Stenströms shirts undergo more than 60 individual processes, with collar production alone requiring 25 steps. The brand features a dedicated 1899 shirt collection that combines the finest fabrics, details, and innovative cuts to honor the founder’s classic craftsmanship.
Stenströms remains a family-owned brand to this day, internationally acclaimed for its outstanding quality. The brand uses only the finest materials and ornaments, meticulously crafting both classic and modern garments through minimalist designs. Stenströms is authorized by the King and Queen of Sweden and has produced clothing for the entire royal family.
Stenströms 1899 Shirt Collection
Stenströms Exhibition Space
Materials, Craftsmanship, Philosophy: The Foundation of Global Fashion Brands
After being invited to the Pitti Filati international yarn exhibition in Italy for five consecutive years, Consinee Group made its debut at Pitti Uomo with the largest and most attention-catching exhibition area among Mainland Chinese participants.
Consinee transformed the Octagonal Hall of Fortezza da Basso into an immersive experience and visual environment, showcasing 22 designer pieces and a portion of Consinee’s collection. These works were created by Chinese designers PONDER.ER, NULLUS, as well as Italian designer Luca Larenza. The exhibition design adhered to sustainable principles, with its wooden installations receiving sustainable certification.
Founded in 1999 in Ningbo, Zhejiang, Consinee Group occupies 20% of the global total production of cashmere yarn.
Consinee Group Exhibition Space
Xiamen-based designer brand WOW-IN is a regular participant at Pitti Uomo. Established in 1999, founder Liu Shengyi reconstructs elements of Oriental culture, Minnan scenery, and contemporary life using lightweight and flexible materials for second-time creations, presenting “soft sculptures” with Chinese aesthetic attributes and international aesthetic standard logic, mainly in the form of bags and handbags.
At this edition of Pitti Uomo, WOW-IN took inspiration from Chinese chess, deconstructing the characters of chess pieces into a “simulacrum” style and showcasing the 2024SSAW “General/Advisor/Elephant/Knight/Minister/Guard/Rook/Horse” collection. The products’ fabrics and production lines are from Italy, combining both Chinese and Italian design aesthetics.
Spanish footwear brand Satorisan‘s name originates from the mythical creature Satori in ancient Japanese mythology. Satori is believed to help humans find their inner spirit and true selves. The brand’s logo also stems from this concept.
Founder Alejandro Monzo visited China and was influenced by Taoist philosophy and Mediterranean lifestyles. Satorisan aims to create authentic products, allowing everyone to lead a simple, leisurely life in harmony with nature.
Satorisan’s products are handmade, presenting a vintage and weathered texture, with traces of hand stitching and rough leather edges reflecting a rugged primal feel.
The name of British outdoor backpack brand Elliker comes from a woodland in East Keswick, England, dedicated to providing essential gear for outdoor adventures, uniting various functions in a single product while eliminating any unnecessary extras. The Keswik Zip Top Backpack and Hetchell Sachoche backpacks from the 2023 Spring/Summer collection offer versatile storage solutions with simple, minimalistic designs.
All of Elliker’s products are made from recycled PET bottles, and the brand donates 1% of its profits to the Wildlife Trusts in the UK.
Elliker Spring/Summer 2023 Collection
RODD&GUNN is the only men’s fashion brand at the exhibition from New Zealand, but the brand had a dedicated pavilion showcasing its ocean-inspired clothing in blue hues.
Founded in 1946, RODD&GUNN opened its first store in New Zealand in 1987 and expanded its footprint to countries such as Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US over the next 70-plus years. The brand representatives on-site informed us that RODD&GUNN currently has 220 stores and department store concessions worldwide, including well-known retailers like Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus in the US, as well as Galeries Lafayette in France.
RODD&GUNN also integrates dining with retail, with the brand’s Lodge Bar opening in its Queenstown store in 2016 and the fourth lifestyle flagship store, The Lodge Bar & Dining, opening in Brisbane in 2022.
RODD&GUNN embraces a relaxed lifestyle aesthetic, using materials like linen, cotton, wool, and leather to create classic and enduring contemporary clothing. Their offerings include traditionally tailored shirts, high-quality knitwear, and well-fitting trousers, all effortlessly fitting into people’s daily lives.
RODD&GUNN Exhibition Space
| Image Credit: Luxe.CO on-site photography, Pitti Uomo official website, respective brand official accounts
| Editor: Maier
