Pitti, the time of man

«In the light of the programs and projects we have implemented, this edition is one of optimism, even as we navigate through a complex phase at the international level. However, we have the advantage of being countercyclical» Raffaello Napoleone, ceo of Pitti immagine, comments, describing the 105th edition of Pitti uomo. From today until Friday, the Fortezza da Basso in Florence will host 832 brands, 46% of which are from abroad, ready to showcase their Fall-Winter 2024/25 collections to an audience of press and international buyers.

There is no doubt that the macro-economic context has not been favorable to businesses, which had to face an unexpected change in the landscape between the first and second halves of 2023. Following a positive 2022, also aided by the return of spending desires post-lockdown, the year that just ended witnessed a significant slowdown starting from the end of the summer due to both climate-related factors and the ongoing geopolitical crisis.

«When the situation is complex, valuable appointments like Pitti uomo become even more important. During such times, companies must meet and engage in dialogue. The men’s business community needs to come together and figure out what strategy to implement» Raffaello Napoleone explained to MFF. «We are operating at full capacity on all fronts. Firenze Fiera has begun recovery works, and construction sites occupy one-quarter of the Fortezza. As a result, we had to choose which companies would participate. Nevertheless, the situation for brands is very positive, with a well-structured event promotion program» he added.

From the shows of guest designer Luca Magliano to those of S.S. Daley and Todd Snyder, as well as the launch of the collaboration between Tod’s and Lamborghini, set to be revealed at the Leopolda, to the presentation of Achilles Ion Gabriel’s debut collection and the «Velvet mi amor» exhibition, created by Stefano and Corinna Chiassai to describe the thousands of facets of velvet. «Following these challenging years, we are increasingly focusing on what has been one of Pitti’s great themes, the culture of fashion, product research, and market analysis» Napoleone added. Buyers are preparing to explore these developments. «We anticipate a significant turnout with all of the international big names» he explained.

«Of course, the decrease in orders we have witnessed is a result of the drop in consumption during the current fall-winter season, which has affected purchases for the upcoming spring-summer season, expected to be less bright. However, based on the list of buyers, we can assume that all the major players will be present, but their orders will most likely be placed differently». The Ministry of foreign affairs and International cooperation and the Ita-Italian Trade agency will support incoming initiatives. «The Government is helping us with a proactive presence from both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy. We benefit from Ita’s hospitality program, which is essential. However, there is a critical situation involving rising hotel costs. In such a complex economic period, there should be a focus on containing accommodation prices» Napoleone concluded. (All rights reserved)