“Ludic and playful, the lemon sits between a tennis ball and a rugby ball. Simple yet made of many segments, sweet and sour, full of vitamins. In short, it’s a symbol with great iconic power, rich in meaning and senses, which has driven us to take a bold step: putting aside photos and videos for our advertising campaigns and using only graphics and graphic designers,” commented Agostino Poletto, General Director of Pitti Immagine.From June 11th to 14th, the Fortezza da Basso in Florence will be adorned in lemon yellow for the 106th edition of Pitti Uomo, showcasing Italian brands alongside intriguing international names. Discover the schedule and all the new features of this menswear event
Words DOMENICO COSTANTINI
The most important menswear fair in Italy returns, infused with energy thanks to the chosen theme for the 106th edition: Pitti becomes lemon with its summery, sunny, and fresh yellow. With 790 brands, nearly half of which are international, Pitti Uomo reaffirms itself as a must-see event on the global fashion calendar, especially given the growing interest in menswear. The Spring/Summer 2025 collections will be presented at Fortezza da Basso, which will host the stands and some cocktail events, while several iconic locations in the Tuscan capital are set to organize dinners, talks, and experiences, fueling the excitement in the city.
Pitti Uomo 106 will feature five key themes guiding the event: Fantastic Classic, Futuro Maschile, Dynamic Attitude, Superstyling, and I Go Out, confirming a diverse offering from every perspective. Additionally, the third edition of the Vintage Hub will showcase the latest in vintage fashion and design, including upcycled or re-worked items, archival management and evaluation services, clothing rentals, and more. The blue newsstand of Pitti Uomo returns as well, featuring independent magazines on fashion, art, design, food, beauty, sports, and lifestyle, in partnership with Frab’s Magazines, a prominent Italian entity known for curating and promoting innovative indie publications.
An Edition of Debuts and Anniversarie
Among the notable names, Marine Serre stands out, organizing a fashion show as the guest designer of this Pitti Uomo edition on the evening of Wednesday, June 12th. Born in 1991 and already recognized as one of the most interesting talents of Paris Fashion Week, the designer follows in the footsteps of Magliano, who was the previous guest with an exciting show last January. The event will kick off with a special showcase by British designer Paul Smith at Villa Favard, the historic home of Polimoda, not far from Fortezza da Basso. Carolina Castiglioni will debut her Plan C menswear collection in the Sala delle Grotte through a special project in collaboration with the Fondazione Pitti Discovery.
Another debut comes from Pierre Louis Mascia, who will hold his first co-ed show on Thursday, June 13th at 6:00 PM. Additionally, TRC, born from the collaboration between Candiani and Grassi, will present its innovative, sustainable, and no-season Italian textile heritage at Pitti Uomo.
Celebrating past achievements, Superga will host a retrospective on its 2750 sneaker model, which became the world’s first tennis shoe with a rubber sole in 1925; Daniele Fiesoli will present his 70th collection at the Teatro Niccolini in Florence; Tombolini will celebrate 60 years of Italian craftsmanship; and Calabrese will toast its centennial with a cocktail event. New generations will be represented by fashion schools: Polimoda will hold its usual graduation show at Villa Palmieri with emerging designers, while Palazzo Ximenes will host ten designers from Istituto Marangoni with interactive and engaging performances and exhibitions. Michel Comte will showcase an installation for the Istituto Europeo di Design at the ex Teatro dell’Oriuolo, and the SCHOLA academy will organize a live performance involving over 50 apprentice artisans. Accademia Italiana has planned an installation with gamification guru Fabio Viola, blending student video installations from Fashion, Design, Photography, and Graphic Design. Finally, Istituto Modartech will present a creative exhibition with student collections in collaboration with companies Manteco and Berto, inspired by the 140th anniversary of the Piaggio Group and creative upcycling.
Pitti Uomo Connects Italy and the World
The event will feature numerous collaborations. S|STYLE by Fondazione Pitti Discovery will showcase ten international brands noted for their creativity and their responses to social and environmental changes, curated by Giorgia Cantarini. The project will also highlight Japanese quality clothing through a special consultancy by Hirofumi Kurino, under the guidance of the Japan Apparel and Fashion Industry Association (JAFIC). Promas French Menswear Fédération and DEFI will support the participation of 34 French brands at Pitti Uomo 106. Contemporary Chinese menswear will be represented at Fortezza da Basso with CHINA WAVE and its eight selected collections, in partnership with the China National Garment Association and CHIC (China International Fashion Fair). China will also be featured alongside Vitelli: Consinee, a leading Chinese group in the market for certified sustainable luxury yarns, will present the Consinee x Vitelli collaboration. Nordic fashion will arrive in Florence with Scandinavian Manifesto, and the Histores association, grouping 45 multi-brand stores, will return to Pitti Uomo with a dedicated space for the brand Hindustrie.
Art Exhibitions to Visit
On the first floor of the Arsenale, the exhibition “MENSWHERE, A Lost History of the Militant Guild of Rural Tailors” will explore, through photographs, artifacts, artworks, and garment prototypes, the possible existence of a clandestine community of tailors active during the Industrial Revolution, engaging in symbolic rites, rituals, and promoting specific creative and artisanal procedures. The concept author and creator Liam Maher will be present to discuss the lost history of this militant guild and talk about the exhibition with visitors. Organizing a shuttle bus departing at 2:00 PM on Thursday, June 13th from Fortezza da Basso and returning by 5:00 PM, the Fondazione Museo del Tessuto di Prato invites the Pitti Uomo audience to visit the exhibition “Walter Albini. Il talento, lo stilista” curated by Daniela Degl’Innocenti and Enrica Morini. This journey through over 400 objects, many of them unpublished, tells the story of more than two decades of production by an absolute pioneer of Made in Italy, designer, and noble father of prêt-à-porter and the total look.
ThE COlOr oF ThE LeMON
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