Pitti Uomo: The Menswear Tradeshow With Meaning
A tradeshow with a reputation worldwide – when I initially entered the world of fashion and menswear, one of the first things I heard, almost relentlessly was “have you ever been to Pitti?”; as if the cobbled streets of Florence were an initiation into the world of menswear (and that wouldn’t be far off the mark). Like an immersive art gallery, fashion-oriented people cruise the historic streets, explore brands, each other, food, culture and fashion. They liaise with brands they buy, have worked with, or sell, making a human connection which is forever lost over social media. Brands I’ve worked with this year excitedly message me in the lead up to this year’s tradeshow “Are you going to Pitti Uomo this year? Are we finally going to meet?!” because nothing replaces doing business, making friendships, exploring brands, and connecting in person!
Looking back at the brands that I’ve worked with this year, so many of them frequent Pitti Uomo - KEEN, Peppino Peppino Denim, Jacques Soloviere, The Cambridge Satchel company, Kleman - and brand’s I’d love to explore this more year - Fracap, Ikiji, Barrett, Armor Lux, Johnstons of Elgin, Peregine.
Peppino Peppino Denim outfit
My foray into menswear is an organic one, something that is genuinely me. The connections I make in my line of work are precious to me – because my work is me… and so my anticipation and excitement at meeting the people behind these brands is great! Additionally, my eagerness to explore new brands is unmatched! Who will I meet? What will I discover? What will I wear? The convfluence of so many people so invested in menswear and fashion is a motivational and inspiring one - Pitti Uomo provides a way to discover new brands, appreciate new ways to wear things, reconsider what I find value in aesthetically and meet new people.
As I look back on my year, my work and my outfits and I prepare for my upcoming year (both workwise and personally), I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together - myself and my clients - creating and maintaining a fashion community both online and offline. Attending Pitti Uomo (for the first time) will welcome the New Year in a creatively and aesthetically inspiring way - I can’t wait to photograph, video and record it in a way that communicates how much it means to so many people!
