IMAGES Astra Marina Cabras, courtesy of Pitti Uomo
WORDS Brett Staniland
Pitti Uomo returned for the 106th edition of the menswear trade show in Florence. As each new season rolls round, the passion from these menswear nerds never fades – if anything, it grows stronger with each year. The city remains alive with bustling tourists flocking for a sight of the iconic duomo, and there is an equally thriving appetite from the peacocks heading to the Fortezza for a glimpse the season’s sartorial spice.
Inside the Fortezza Da Basso resides three floors of everything menswear-related – from the obvious Italian elegance in suiting, millinery and footwear, to canes, umbrellas and all types of accessories. The lower floor is dominated by Brunello Cucinelli whose inimitable summer suiting is second to none, renowned for his charm and it certainly works – to the tune of over $1bn in revenue last year.
British brands have a decent stronghold on the space too, with every Northampton cobbler represented alongside some of our famous knitwear brands like John Smedley. While the atmosphere is much different here to the rest of the show season, Pitti guest designers Paul Smith and Marine Serre gave us a taste of what’s to come in the following weeks, alongside this year’s graduates from Polimoda who provided an International concoction of future creatives.
Paul Smith
This was perhaps the most fitting format for Paul, an interactive presentation whereby he stood on stage and spoke through 16 looks of his latest collection to guests. After showing in Paris for over 40 years, this latest collection was showcased in the charming Villa Favard, in a grand drawing room transformed into a makeshift art studio. Next door was “Bar Paul” where guests sipped espressos and cocktails and the garden offered a caricaturist.
A collaboration with Lee Jeans provided a youthful twist of Americans among the many tailored looks on display, with a wide leg jean and denim jacket among the selected looks. For Paul Smith, this season offered a nice contrast to the usual slim silhouettes you’d find in store, treating us to a much wider fit with plenty of volume. His passion shone throughout as he detailed the composition and inspiration of the garments as well as back stories and connections to the models. Many years on he still knows his customer and wants them to be able to find clothes that have many uses, reversibility, mix n match styling and versatility is key, as he stated with today’s more slow-fashion-inclined customer it’s valuable for them to find clothes which add to their existing wardrobes.
Polimoda
It was an international affair at the University’s graduate show for SS25, and many of the students chose to wave their respective flags. There’s always an elevated wave of unbridled creativity, the students are just spreading their wings and so having no brand, boss or “codes” to clip them, are free to express themselves in a collection. Around 100 looks filtered down the 100m+ runway in Florence with students representing a global mix of nationalities.
Some had chosen to fly their patriotism in the looks like Noe Falchi from Switzerland with their military inspired garments blending the Swiss flag into a wrap skirt and a unitard smothered with a deconstructed trench coat, all in protest of joining the army. There were even some England football crests sat on the chest of looks in the mix of talent too. Plenty of students tested the gender norms of clothing, but in different styles with some avant-garde and others simplistic and sensual, challenging what we deem as sexy. The talent on display yet again made a statement that this school competes with the best in the world.
Marine Serre
Marine presented her show at the stunning location in the Tuscan hills at Villa Di Maiano, with the most beautiful backdrop of Florence. It was the first time she has shown outside of Paris, but she didn’t neglect the brands’ cult Parisian roots in this show. Marine does an incredible job of having sustainability as an integral part of the brand without sacrificing any of the art and creativity for a Parisian high fashion brand. Upcycled bedsheets, t-shirts, bags and jewellery all featured. Her iconic crescent moon monogram shone in abundance, mostly in monochrome responsible leather, with matching bags, as donned by Mark Vanderbilt the timeless male model. Casting was also an area where Marine stands out season after season. This makes it just as appealing and alluring as any other luxury brands but it so happens to be much more responsible and ethical. This collection referenced world issues of today but also the world issues which shaped her graduate collection 8 years ago – a sombre thought for how many ongoing issues and emergency crises there have been, but also how Marine is still true to herself whilst the collections mature with her.
Brett Staniland
Brett is a sustainable fashion campaigner, model and content creator.
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