“If menswear needed to assert its influence at the start of 2024, the 105th Pitti Uomo sent a very positive signal: throughout the events, we witnessed industry professionals focusing on those key factors that determine market success, displaying passion and a united determination.”
This is what Raffaello Napoleone, CEO of Pitti Immagine said following the successful conclusion of the latest Florence menswear exhibition (Pitti Uomo). From January 9th to 12th, 832 global brands gathered at Fortezza da Basso, attracting 20,000 visitors.
Among the 13,000 buyers attending the exhibition, the number of oversea buyers increased by 4% compared to the same period last year, reaching 4,700. All foreign markets saw an increase in turnover, with Germany, France, the United States, and Belgium recording double-digit growth. The Asian markets, including Japan, Korea, Singapore, mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, are also in continuous recovery.
Once again, Luxeplace.com was invited to Florence, acting as the sole Chinese fashion and business media representative to delve deep into Pitti Uomo, engaging in multi-level, comprehensive exchanges with the industry.
This article selects the distinctive brands and products we discovered on-site, summarizing several highlights of the exhibition and the latest trends in the global menswear industry:
- The “Blossoming” of Down Jacket
- The Sustainable Journey of Cashmere Fabrics
- Apparel and Automobiles: “Made in Italy” Hand in Hand
- Outdoor Trend: The Dual Pursuit of Practicality and Aesthetics
- Global Designs Converge in Florence, Showcasing the Diversity of Menswear
The theme of the 105th Pitti Uomo was “Time,” aiming to explore the significance of time in fashion. Giuliana Parabiago, marketing consultant for Pitti Immagine, explained that fashion sometimes encompasses fast-paced capsule collections and collaborations, and at other times, it includes iconic items and more timeless luxury classics that require time to perfect.
The “Blossoming” of Down Jacket
The down jacket category “blossomed” at this edition of Pitti Uomo, presenting a concentrated and splendid showcase of this important apparel category for the autumn and winter season.
The Italian high-end brand Herno‘s Autumn/Winter 2024 collection combines fashion, practicality, and aesthetics in a simple, contemporary manner. The series employs luxurious fabrics such as cashmere, cashmere blends, and knit materials, incorporating a sporty style, including the use of more athletic technical fabrics, to present a refined sporty casual style.
The entire series is rooted in the brand’s history, with one of the down jackets inspired by an original design from the brand’s early years.
Furthermore, Herno continues to expand its categories beyond down jackets, extending to outerwear, jackets, trousers, knitwear, and fashionable sporty outdoor products.
The Italian down jacket brand Replumè‘s latest series continues the brand’s founding purpose—using recycled materials to make down jackets, reducing harm to the Earth.
Replumè collaborated with the Messner Mountain Museum to create a miniature museum at the exhibition, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in understanding the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), components, and supplier information of each product. According to the museum’s display, using recycled materials can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 67.5%.
Replumè, launched by PGN International three years ago, is the first brand on the market to manufacture 90% of its products from recycled materials.
In addition, Replumè provided sweaters as workwear for the exhibition staff, made from certified fabrics by the Italian textile mill Olmetex.
The latest ATTIC capsule collection from the Tuscan outerwear brand Duno evolved the concept of functional clothing from its brand DNA. The design follows minimalism, with detachable cowls, vests, and sleeves showcasing multifunctionality.
Notably, the outerwear’s triple-layer fabric design, with the outer layer waterproofed and the inner layer made of one of the most environmentally friendly hydrophilic bio-based membranes, ensures the jacket’s waterproof and windproof performance while maintaining a soft fabric feel.
Duno, founded by Italian-Chinese Chris Wang in 2014, first made inroads into the Japanese and Korean markets before gradually expanding in Italy and other European markets. Currently, Duno is sold in approximately 1,000 retailers worldwide.
The Italian down apparel brand Ciesse Piumini displayed its key elements in an independent pavilion: the spirit of adventure, connection with nature, and a culture of innovation. This technical sportswear brand, established in 1976, is chosen as the official sponsor for several important expeditions due to its pure DNA, quality, and reliability.
More global brands showcased their iconic down jacket series at Pitti Uomo, such as the designer brand Salvatore Parasuco from Montreal, Canada. Their down jackets and parkas are made from high-quality and sustainable materials, with several items tested to withstand temperatures as low as -35 degrees Celsius.
The Sustainable Journey of Cashmere Fabrics
Cashmere, as a premium natural material, is an important fabric for the autumn and winter seasons and offers brands the opportunity to practice sustainable fashion.
As the only Chinese exhibitor at this Pitti Uomo, the Ningbo-based high-end cashmere yarn export company Consinee Group collaborated with the Italian fashion brand Vitelli to launch a sustainable cashmere co-branded series, led by Vitelli’s founder and creative director Mauro Simionato. This marked Vitelli’s first foray into a pure cashmere series.
The series consists of 10 products, all made from Consinee’s stock fabrics, displayed on the first floor of the Costruzioni Lorenesi showroom. Vitelli and Consinee also invited German photographer Patrick Bienert to shoot a documentary, The Cashmere Trail, narrating the production and processing journey of cashmere from Inner Mongolia’s pastures to Ningbo’s factories, showcasing Consinee’s benign cashmere production chain and the company’s commitment to sustainable development.
Suzy Menkes, a renowned fashion media personality, was photographed with Mauro Simionato wearing the sustainable cashmere series.
The Swiss luxury brand Windsor, with a 130-year history, exhibited its Autumn 2024 menswear series, including essential items such as outerwear, sweaters, trousers, and jackets. The collection combines classic elegance with modern fashion, featuring silhouettes that are fluid and relaxed. The fabrics are centered around cashmere and wool, including recycled cashmere.
Windsor demonstrated the four steps of cashmere recycling on-site: collecting discarded cashmere materials, sorting matching colors, reweaving, and making new yarn balls. The recycled cashmere series products are all made in Italy.
The Italian knitwear brand Gran Sasso presented its latest Autumn/Winter 2024 series, adopting a sustainable fashion philosophy focused on eliminating waste and using selected ecological cashmere as material. The series includes zip jackets and stand-up collar sweaters.
The series extensively uses white and grey-brown color combinations, accented with tobacco and burgundy colors, highlighting the preciousness and soft touch of cashmere, a natural material.
Apparel and Automobiles: “Made in Italy” Hand in Hand
During this edition of Pitti Uomo, Italian luxury brand Tod’s and top Italian sports car brand Lamborghini unveiled their first collaborative footwear collection.
The collection includes Tod’s iconic Gommino loafers and sneakers, with the color of the uppers inspired by Lamborghini’s car paint, and the soles specially designed with pebble-like protrusions that match the colors of the shoes.
The attention to detail and craftsmanship in the collaborative series reflects both brands’ commitment to continuing the tradition of Italian design and manufacturing. The brands also set up a manual workstation at the exhibition to demonstrate the process of crafting and assembling the shoes by artisans.
Suns launched a collaborative capsule collection with Italian car brand Fiat, Suns x Fiat 500, in an independent pavilion, including a Fiat 500 co-branded car and clothing items such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, and jackets.
The Fiat 500 model is a legendary vehicle in the history of Italian automotive industry, pioneering the small displacement microcar segment and encapsulating the essence of Italian car design, making it beloved by the public.
Founded in 2018, Suns specializes in producing fashionable tech and sportswear, offering affordable, minimalist, and vibrant comfortable clothing for everyday life. This young brand uses Pitti Uomo as an important platform to showcase its growth over the years.
Outdoor Trend: The Dual Pursuit of Practicality and Aesthetics
American outdoor clothing brand Woolrich presented its Autumn/Winter 2024 Black Label collection and held a special show. This is the first collection designed by American designer Todd Snyder for the brand since he was appointed as the creative director of the Woolrich Black Label series in November last year. He was also one of the guest designers at this edition of Pitti Uomo.
The latest collection is divided into two product lines: Heritage and Technical. The Heritage line draws iconic designs from Woolrich’s 190-year history and elevates them to a more refined and luxurious style, such as upgrading the classic Buffalo check shirt from wool to exquisite cashmere material and the Arctic Parka series. The Technical line meets the dual requirements of practicality and aesthetics for outdoor clothing.
Founded in 1830, Woolrich is the oldest outdoor clothing brand in the United States. In 2018, L-Gam, a Luxembourg-based investment fund, became the major shareholder of Woolrich International, the brand’s parent company. In 2019, Stefano Saccone came from the American VF Group to Woolrich to lead the brand’s expansion plan. The brand’s revenue growth in 2023 is expected to exceed 10%.
Stefano Saccone revealed to Luxeplace.com at the exhibition site that there are plans to launch a co-branded series with a Chinese brand this year, communicating with Chinese consumers through product innovation.
Canadian functional running brand Norda Run, specializing in making running shoes for extreme terrains, showcased its first product and the world’s first shoe made with seamless bio-based material Dyneema® — nords™001 running shoes — in Pitti Uomo’s “I GO OUT” outdoor section. Dyneema® is the strongest and lightest fiber material in the world, fifteen times stronger than steel and able to float on water. Additionally, 75% of the energy used in the production of Dyneema® is renewable, making it the high-performance fiber with the lowest carbon emission per unit of strength.
Norda Run was born in Montreal in 2020, co-founded by endurance athlete couple Nick and Willamina Martire, shoe designer Louis-Martin Tremblay, and brand development expert Gerard Cleal.
In February 2023, Italian luxury group Ermenegildo Zegna (Zegna) announced the acquisition of a minority stake in Norda Run, with plans to gradually increase its investment in the brand over the next nine years.
Also in the “I GO OUT” section, French designer brand Again brought its Spring/Summer 2024 Silver River series.
Brand founder Basile Dadaux, who grew up in the green forests of the French countryside and loves exploring nature and hiking, often finds inspiration in different ecosystems and natural phenomena around the world. With a passion for fashion from a young age, he studied in Paris and worked as a designer in the women’s departments of Jean Paul Gaultier and Hermès after graduating. In 2022, Basile Dadaux founded his own brand, leaning towards sport, technical, and classic styles, combining his love for fashion and nature once again.
The Silver River series is inspired by the landscape of the Breton river estuary at low tide: misty skies, sprawling beaches, and sediments caused by erosion… Therefore, the series also uses color combinations such as bronze, dirty gray, deep green of microalgae, and oxidized rust.
German emerging running apparel brand Optimistic Runners‘ latest series includes T-shirts, jackets, shorts, shoes, and other categories of items, primarily in black, white, and gray, with a minimalist design that highlights the functionality of the products.
Founded in Berlin, Optimistic Runners draws inspiration from the unique spirit of the city, creating functional products that blend personal style and expression. The brand’s philosophy is that running is not just a physical exercise but also a transformative journey that shapes character and fills life with joy.
Optimistic Runners builds a running community around the brand. Just before the Pitti Uomo exhibition, Optimistic Runners opened a pop-up store in Paris and organized a running event.
Global Designs Converge in Florence, Showcasing the Diversity of Menswear
Pitti Uomo focuses on “internationalization,” with 43% of participating brands coming from outside Italy.
Besides the continuous presence of Scandinavian fashion through the “Scandinavian Manifesto” section over the years, German brands from the key textile and apparel industry markets were a major highlight of this edition. Spanning classic to avant-garde and street styles, a total of 67 German brands brought their latest series of products, making Germany one of the few markets at the exhibition to record double-digit growth in turnover.
The special exhibition NEUDEUTSCH, curated by renowned fashion buyer and consultant Julian Daynov, selected 17 representative German fashion brands to showcase the fashion climate under the new German design wave.
German fashion brand Avenir integrates environmental consciousness into its design. Founded by Sophie Claussen in 2020, it emphasizes mindful design and production, committed to creating with existing materials. In its latest series, recycled suit fabrics, shirts, and knitwear are repurposed, breaking away from the rigid traditions of menswear with organic forms.
German fashion brand Haderlump also focuses on the reuse of waste materials. The brand name “Haderlump” was a medieval derogatory term for those who collected and resold old clothes and fabric scraps. Today, designer Johann Ehrhardt transforms leftover textiles into unique pieces, expressing his study of Berlin’s urban aesthetics: a harmony of elegance and chaos, tranquility and noise, new and old.
German fashion brand Oftt practices sustainability by supporting organic agriculture from seed to source. Oftt emphasizes cooperation with nature, using the best sustainable resources. The cotton used by the brand is naturally grown without pesticides or pollutants and mainly irrigated with rainwater. Oftt also collaborates with GOTS-certified factories, aiming to use less water, natural dyes, and eco-friendly production techniques.
Oftt’s series includes 10 essential wardrobe items, from shirts to jackets, like the latest series featuring coats made from recycled cashmere and wool materials.
British guest designer Steven Stokey-Daley held the Autumn/Winter 2024 show for his brand S.S. Daley at Florence’s City Hall and the National Museum, Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace).
Founded in 2020, S.S. Daley aims to reexamine typical British traditions and integrate them into a contemporary context. The Autumn/Winter 2024 series draws inspiration from the codes of British upper-class boys’ school culture. The designer added a rebellious and quirky twist to traditional British attire by stacking piles of pillows, hanging huge down quilts and knitted blankets, and combining pajamas, sportswear, and tailcoats, juxtaposing against the backdrop of Italian medieval castles and Renaissance paintings.
Italian native designer Luca Magliano‘s eponymous brand, Magliano, held its 2024/25 Autumn/Winter show at the Nelson Mandela Forum in northwest Florence.
Magliano was established in Bologna in 2017, with its first show at Pitti Uomo in 2018. The designer creates a dramatic, magical realism space with his works, incorporating dark, alternative, and disheveled attitudes into the fundamental elements of menswear, turning it into a natural, gender-neutral style.
The designer crafted various characters through clothing: the shapeless old sweaters, patched clothes, wanderers carrying plastic bags, and night revelers in black sequined trousers and a jacquard mohair sweater embroidered with a large white cat…
Models descended one by one from the top of the sports arena’s steps, as if walking out of a film — inspired by Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky’s film “Nostalgia” (1983), shot in Italy. They walked through the crowd and collectively ascended the steps under the tune of Italian singer-songwriter Fabrizio De André’s “La Domenica delle Salme,” disappearing into the light at the end.
| Image Credit: on-site photography by Luxeplace.com, Pitti Immagine
丨Reporter：Huang Yuting
| Editor: Maier
