From June 17 to 20, the 108th edition of Pitti Uomo was held as scheduled in Florence. A total of 750 brands gathered in the “City of Flowers,” transforming the nearly 500-year-old Fortezza da Basso, headquarters of the trade show, into a light and cheerful holiday scene just before the summer solstice. This edition of Pitti Uomo carried the clear thematic title “Pitti Bikes!“, directly linking the menswear industry with the sports lifestyle represented by cycling.
“Lifestyles have changed. These days, we often talk about health, not just physical, but also how we travel and how we live. Take bicycles, for instance, they’re the focus of this year’s fair… We now need clothing that is functional, lightweight, and adaptable. Looking refined and elegant is no longer enough. The same goes for footwear; sneakers have replaced traditional leather shoes. Fashion must keep pace with this fast-paced life. In the past, there was a clear distinction between formal wear and functional clothing. Now, even traditional fabrics are adapting,” said Raffaello Napoleone, CEO of Pitti Immagine, the organizer of the event.
Once again, the Luxe.CO team immersed itself in the scene at Pitti Uomo, decoding the latest global menswear trends and uncovering inspiring brand innovations in a uniquely energizing atmosphere. (Previously, Luxe.CO has visited Florence seven times to study Pitti Uomo.)
Product Hybridity Responding to the Pace of Modern Life
As always, five major sections were set up inside Fortezza da Basso: “FANTASTIC CLASSIC,” “FUTURO MASCHILE,” “DYNAMIC ATTITUDE,” “SUPERSTYLING,” and “I GO OUT.” This summer in Florence was particularly hot, with more than 20,000 visitors moving between different scenes and temperature zones, blurring the boundaries between formal and casual, as well as indoors and outdoors.
Italian luxury brand Brunello Cucinelli, a representative of the “FANTASTIC CLASSIC” section, has continued to subtly echo and lead these changes through its collections presented at Pitti Uomo. The brand’s Spring 2026 collection, titled “The Shape of Light,” centers on vibrant colors, including orange, apricot, cobalt blue, and coral red, balanced with bright whites and elegant neutrals to achieve a complex harmony. Made from natural fabrics like wool, silk, and linen, the tailored pieces exhibit a light, fluid texture. Footwear features innovative construction and unlined materials to enhance summer comfort.

Above: Mr. Brunello Cucinelli, the brand’s founder, wearing the latest seasonal footwear, casually whistling between media interviews and industry conversations.
The sense of “lightness” was a key characteristic across many brands’ latest collections:
-
Italian luxury textile group Piacenza 1733 presented its Spring/Summer 2026 collection made from high-end materials such as Mongolian cashmere, French linen, and Chinese silk, in nature-inspired tones like papaya orange, cactus green, and oyster pink—an ode to the natural world.
-
Italian casual menswear brand Paul & Shark introduced a harmonious blend of tradition and innovation with its Spring/Summer 2026 line. A standout item was the Windbreaker Two in One, crafted from lightweight and breathable natural linen and enhanced with the brand’s upgraded waterproof technology, Typhoon Platinum.
-
Founded in 1928 and known for men’s shirts, Eton showcased a new relaxed and elegant collection, including linen-silk jackets and deconstructed suits.
The “Cycling Lifestyle Section” offered a more direct expression of this edition’s overarching theme. The “Becycle” initiative, which represents cycling and sustainability, drew participation from brands such as Ashmei, Colnago, De Rosa, Passoni, and Pas Normal Studios. Following its debut in June 2024, “Becycle” became part of the “I Go Out” section, which focuses on contemporary outdoor apparel and gear.
Italian high-end bicycle manufacturer Colnago debuted a fashion capsule collection here. Rather than emphasizing technical fabrics, the collection focused on casual style and comfort, featuring pieces such as elegant, lightweight cashmere polo shirts, cotton sweatshirts, and high-neck padded hunting jackets crafted from Loro Piana fabrics. The entire series was offered in black or midnight blue, accented with understated gold stripes.
Additionally, Colnago and Copenhagen-based premium cycling apparel brand Pas Normal Studios (PNS) launched a limited-edition collaborative road bike, Colnago C68 x Pas Normal Studios (pictured below), and hosted a special cycling event in Florence to celebrate PNS’s 10th anniversary. PNS has strong ties with Italy. Back in April 2024, Remo Ruffini, Chairman of the Moncler Group, through his family investment firm, Archive Srl, acquired a minority stake in the PNS brand.
More brands contributed to the merging of sports and fashion through new collections: Bologna-based Italian sportswear brand Macron released the third drop of its lifestyle series Clubhouse, which launched last year. Positioned as “sports fashion,” the line focuses on blending practicality, functionality, and aesthetics. American premium footwear brand Stuart Weitzman also introduced its first driving-specific shoe series, NYC Driver.
Creative Exhibition Concepts: Setting the Scene for Every Product
Pitti Uomo serves as a grand stage where brands showcase their core values, each employing creative and signature techniques to craft immersive, experiential exhibition spaces that thoughtfully align every product with its ideal lifestyle context.
Neapolitan formalwear brand Kiton brought a Mediterranean summer scene to Tuscany: a Strider 13 maxi-RIB yacht, custom-built in collaboration with yacht manufacturer SACS, was placed at the center of the concrete square inside Fortezza da Basso (pictured below). Simultaneously, the brand debuted its KNT Marina capsule collection, designed for nautical settings. KNT stands for Kiton New Textures, an experimental line from the house.
Now in its fourth consecutive appearance at Pitti Uomo, leading Chinese cashmere fiber and yarn manufacturer CONSINEE Group invited avant-garde Italian performance troupe Kinkaleri to present a new project titled The Body Is A Playground. Performers Matteo Coluccia and Daniele Del Bandecca used their bodies as expressive instruments in a dynamic interpretation of a capsule knitwear series created by fashion critic and curator Angelo Flaccavento and designer Luca D’Alena, using Consinee fabrics. This energetic and poetic performance, which translated product concepts into performative art, marked a historic first in Pitti Uomo’s history.
American fashion brand Guess, also in its fourth consecutive season at Pitti Uomo, transformed its denim section into a futuristic California dreamscape. At the heart of the installation was an infinity mirror surrounding a laser customization station, showcasing the Guess Airwash technology, which debuted at Pitti Uomo this January. The accompanying 2026 collection drew from West Coast nostalgia and introduced an exclusive Guess x North Sails capsule. The collaboration blended North Sails’ technological and sustainable innovations with Guess’s menswear aesthetics, turning the entire building into a stopover on a nautical journey (pictured below).
Italian sportswear brand Ellesse installed a full-scale tennis court in the outdoor section of its booth, where guests could enjoy oversized novelty tennis games on giant installations (pictured below), alongside live DJ sets and a bar area for relaxation.
Holidaywear brand MC2 Saint Barth recreated a Greek-style taverna in the center of the fortress. With live performances by guitarists and dancers, the space invited visitors to revel under the Tuscan sun.
Italian casualwear brand Sun68 transformed its booth into a traditional pizzeria, complete with authentic Italian flair (pictured below). The brand also hosted a special event titled “20 Years of an Italian Icon: A Tribute to the Polo.”
Beachwear brand 4Giveness, founded in Barletta in the Puglia region of Southern Italy, was born from two friends’ shared passion for exploration, experimentation, and travel. Inspired by the rhythm of the sea, each product expresses a longing for freedom. For this edition of Pitti Uomo, the brand presented a Padel Club capsule collection. On a miniature court built at the venue, friends of the brand took turns playing padel (pictured below).
Heritage Footwear Makes a Comeback
In dynamic sections like “DYNAMIC ATTITUDE,” brands spotlighted collections designed to complement active lifestyles. These distinctive labels, grounded in sportswear and streetwear, showcased innovative and comfortable designs with technical underpinnings, sometimes infused with subtle retro flair.
This edition of Pitti Uomo notably witnessed the revival and reinvention of several classic footwear styles.
Superga, the iconic Italian canvas sneaker brand under the BasicNet fashion group, presented a new collection encompassing rubber shoes, vulcanized shoes, sneakers, and hiking boots. The brand’s signature 2750 lace-up canvas sneaker line was expanded to include a broader range of solid colors in an effort to move beyond its image as a teenage wardrobe staple and reclaim its place in edgy, fashion-forward circles.
Italian hiking boot brand Crispi, founded in Montebelluna, a small Alpine town and Italy’s cradle of outdoor footwear, unveiled new colorways for its classic Monaco hiking boots. With just 30,000 residents, Montbelluna is home to R&D centers for numerous global outdoor footwear brands. Crispi representatives explained to Luxe.CO the key aspects of material selection, color palette development, and the shoemaking process, as well as the evolution of Montbelluna’s industrial cluster. The brand designs different lasts to suit the foot shapes of customers in Europe, the Chinese Mainland, and the United States (pictured above). Within the outdoor segment, Crispi is known for combining functionality with aesthetic appeal, and it occupies the higher end of the price spectrum. Pitti Uomo featured the brand in the “I Go Out” section as a representative of Italy’s excellence in outdoor footwear.
Atlantic Stars, the Italian retro sneaker brand, made its official return to the fair after a hiatus. Founded by enthusiasts of 1980s fashion, the brand is recognized for its bold use of color and meticulous attention to detail. Its uppers are made from premium suede, while the outsoles are crafted using high-performance rubber from Italy’s renowned producer Vibram for maximum comfort. This season’s new releases revisited the design prototypes of Atlantic Stars’ early models, adding more vivid color blocking that once again captured attention at the show (pictured above).
Spanish sneaker brand MUNICH, established in 1939 and based in Barcelona, operates in over 40 countries and blends performance with fashion across a broad product range. These include specialized shoes for futsal, padel, and handball, as well as urban lifestyle models. A regular participant at Pitti Uomo, MUNICH elevated its display presentation this year and featured original footwear prototypes made by founder Luis Berneda (pictured above).
Le Plagiste, a handcrafted footwear brand from the Provence region of France, made its Pitti Uomo debut following a brand relaunch. Its new collection emphasizes a deep pride in craftsmanship, a passion for premium materials, and meticulous attention to detail. The shoes offer a comfortable and flexible wearing experience, evoking the ambiance of Southern France’s coastline, warm beaches, and relaxed social atmosphere.
Founded in 1949, American sneaker label Pro-Keds announced its official comeback at this edition of Pitti Uomo (pictured above). Its new collection draws inspiration from classic silhouettes, modernized with contemporary design touches. For example, the Racer 77 model was inspired by a 1977 original. The brand is currently owned by luxury fashion executive Patrizio di Marco (former CEO of Gucci) and American entrepreneur Jay Schottenstein (CEO of American Eagle Outfitters).
A Stage for Emerging Brands: Where the New and Established Resonate Together
Each edition of Pitti Uomo provides a platform for both growth-stage and early-stage brands. While established names unveil their latest collections, emerging labels are seizing the opportunity to gain exposure or demonstrate strong momentum at this key international event.
Founded in 2013 in Vicenza, Italian apparel brand Cruna set up its booth at the heart of the “FANTASTIC CLASSIC” section (pictured above). The name Cruna, meaning “needle’s eye” in Italian, symbolizes patience, skill, and knowledge, reflecting the brand’s aim to blend high-quality craftsmanship with innovative design. Cruna relies on Italy’s premium supply chain and collaborates with domestic textile leaders such as Marzotto to launch new products. Originally known for its trousers, the brand has since expanded into both men’s and women’s wear. As of February this year, its menswear line is available in over 350 retail stores, including 200 in Italy.
Norwegian bag brand Db bags, co-founded in 2012 by entrepreneur Truls Brataas and professional freeskier Jon Olsson, presented its latest collection (pictured above). In 2024, Db received a minority investment from LVMH Luxury Ventures, the venture arm of the French luxury conglomerate LVMH. Just before the fair, the brand also announced two new investors: the second-generation heir of a leading Norwegian salmon business and a local football star.
The luggage and accessories category continues to be fertile ground for new brands. Founded five years ago, Spanish bag brand Scharlau is a compelling case study in global supply chains, combining Spanish design, East Asian leather sourcing, and Indian manufacturing to deliver high-quality, durable, and comfortable products (pictured above).
Florentine female entrepreneur Chiara Caramelli brought her luggage brand, ZOOM, to the event (pictured above), showcasing the Pop-Up Trolley —a two-wheel suitcase that integrates rubber materials and can compress by up to 50% when stored. The brand emphasizes sustainability through its use of recycled materials and offers customization options such as exterior and interior color schemes.
Based near Rome, Italian sustainable bag brand DOMOZERO creates handmade bags from upcycled sailcloth (pictured above). During this edition of Pitti Uomo, DOMOZERO entered discussions with fellow exhibitor Helly Hansen, the Norwegian nautical outdoor brand, exploring potential collaboration.
Copenhagen-based luxury fragrance brand Porcelain, founded in 2019, participated in this edition’s “Scandinavian Manifesto” showcase, exhibiting five distinct scent profiles (pictured above). Founder and in-house perfumer Stine Hoff refers to her creations as “slow fragrances.” The term “slow” refers to the two-year development process for each scent. Made in small batches using all-natural ingredients, the fragrances are rooted in European artistry while drawing global inspiration. Every year, Porcelain organizes luxury fragrance retreats in picturesque destinations, crafting memorable, immersive experiences.
Also featured in the Scandinavian section was Swedish resortwear brand Nikben, founded in 2014 by Nik and Ben. Originally a small, raw swimwear label known for its quirky creativity and eye-catching prints, Nikben has since evolved into a full-fledged resortwear brand. It continues to embody the founders’ love for sunny holidays and joyful moments, and now partners with retailers and distributors worldwide.
Le Signe is a sneaker brand founded and led by young Italian entrepreneur Federico Priarone from Turin (pictured above). In 2024, at just 19 years old, Federico transformed his childhood passion for sneakers into a brand renowned for its self-developed production standards, distinctive aesthetic, deep connection to the city of Turin, and sustainable values. At Pitti Uomo, the brand showcased two product lines, including its signature design featuring broad laces scorched with fire, a technique that gives each pair of shoes a distinctive, personal mark.
A Menswear Celebration in Italy, with 45% of Exhibitors from Overseas
Pitti Uomo is not only a grand celebration of Italian menswear, but also a key global platform for international menswear brands. Of the approximately 750 exhibitors at the 108th edition of Pitti Uomo, 45% came from outside Italy. For many of them, Florence is a crucial gateway into both the European and global markets.
Tommy Hilfiger made a highly anticipated return to Florence after an eight-year absence, unveiling a new menswear project. The American brand took over the historic Portinari Salviati building, transforming it into the “Hilfiger Social Club.” Amid lively music and a celebrity-studded gathering, the brand launched its new high-end menswear line, New York. The collection makes extensive use of technical fabrics, stretch materials, and knits, aiming to combine sophisticated style with a high level of comfort.
This edition of Pitti Uomo also welcomed Italian designer label Niccolò Pasqualetti, South Korean brand Post Archive Faction (PAF), Japanese label Children of the Discordance, and Issey Miyake Homme Plissé, a division of Issey Miyake. This marks an increase in participating design talents compared to the January 2024 edition. The genderless label Niccolò Pasqualetti staged a fashion show on the terrace of Teatro del Maggio Fiorentino and took the opportunity to debut its first-ever menswear collection.
Making its Italian market debut, Post Archive Faction held a major runway presentation at Leopoldo Station, showcasing its latest collection defined by a futuristic urban-tech aesthetic. Founded in 2018, the brand completed a new round of funding in April 2024. In 2023, it also secured minority investment from South Korea’s Kolon Group.
The China National Garment Association and CHIC trade fair continued their “China Wave” initiative, bringing a selection of Chinese brands to Pitti Uomo. Participating labels included Baoget, Beekite, Callitapureday, Canotwait, Label-U, SEWMOD, and Something Store.
Additionally, the UK Fashion & Textile Association (UKFT) led the participation of several iconic British heritage brands, such as Baracuta, Barbour, Crockett & Jones, Edward Green, Invertere, John Smedley, Joseph Cheaney & Sons, Loake, Lock & Co. Hatters, and Mackintosh. Emerging UK labels such as Beorma, Elliker, Minnessak, Loungers, and Oscar Deen offered fresh interpretations deeply rooted in British cultural identity.
Further international creativity was represented through the following curated platforms:
-
The Scandinavian Manifesto collective showcase in collaboration with CIFF Copenhagen
-
A selection of Spanish brands promoted by ICEX
-
The J Quality section, highlighting Japanese craftsmanship
-
Participation by 25 French brands, most of them supported by Promas and DEFI, a French public agency
-
The new initiative, Code Korea, was launched in partnership with the Korea Creative Content Agency
|Image Credit: Luxe.CO on site
|Editor: Xiaoyue