Pitti Uomo: 97th edition
The year is young but the menswear industry has already wrapped up one of its key events: the autumn/winter edition of Pitti Uomo. The menswear tradeshow, which took place this week in a crisp yet sunny Florence, is now in…
The new year is young but the menswear crowd has already completed one of its most important events: the autumn/winter edition of Pitti Uomo. The pioneering Florentine menswear tradeshow, which ran this week, is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2019. Some 30,000 buyers and editors gathered in a sunny (if chilly) Florence to scour the hallowed halls of the Fortezza da Basso and attend special off-site runway shows from Parisian label Y/Project and new Italian brand Aldomariacamillo. Among the wares displayed by the 1,200-odd brands in the Fortezza, there was less chunky outerwear than in previous seasons – increasingly warm winters means that customers are more interested in layering – and plenty of earthy shades, merino knits and, of course, corduroy. Here are our Top 20 picks: these items will hit shops from August but now’s as good a time as ever to start making your winter wishlist.
President’s (Italy)
Guido Biondi, the current creative director of President’s and the grandson of its founder, conjured a covetable mix of jackets, jumpers and trainers. The Florentine brand, which manufactures in Tuscany, showed items including a khaki jacket with a black shearling collar and copper zip – and this drapey, sand-coloured coat.
presidents7bell.com
The Gigi (Italy)
The Gigi brings a refreshing approach to Italian menswear: its collections contain playful touches, innovative materials and a certain insouciance. One coat, for instance, had a bright-orange polyester interior and a brown wool exterior; the wool had been washed so that the orange interior shone through. This “bird” cardigan, meanwhile, is made from cotton jersey with a shearling finish.
thegigi.it
Herno (Italy)
Outerwear maestro Herno unveiled a special collection called “Sartorial Engineering”. It takes classic menswear fabrics – such as wools and flannels – and treats them in such a way that they become high-performance items. Special membranes render the parkas, field jackets and bomber jackets water- and wind-resistant, while “thermo taping” on the inside seams is an added measure to ensure customers stay warm and dry.
herno.it/
And Wander (Japan)
The ‘I Go Out’ pavilion, which debuted last season and features outdoor brands with a fashionable edge, is a brilliant addition to the fair’s offerings. Tokyo label And Wander exemplifies the ‘I Go Out’ aesthetic. This season it showed thoughtful pieces such as a black parka hand-painted with grey, black and white dots. These slick puffer jackets, meanwhile, will keep you looking sharp on city streets or hiking trails.
andwander.com
Atelier & Repairs (USA)
Maurizio Donadi is trying to change the way we think about fashion, the world’s second-most wasteful sector behind the oil industry. He’s behind Los Angeles initiative Atelier & Repairs, which produces patchwork trousers, jackets and shirts made using deadstock fabrics or reworked from defective clothing. “This industry is a cancer,” he says. “We are not a sustainable brand but we try to be as responsible as possible.” Donadi, who’s stocked in the likes of Bergdorf Goodman and Lane Crawford, is “being contacted by big brands who want to find out more about what we do”.
atelierandrepairs.com
Heimat (Germany)
Heimat produces its chunky beanies and sweaters in Germany. Its deck hat – a beanie that rolls above the ears – is a favourite among the style crowd, although this season it was a striking stripy jumper that caught our eye.
heimat-textil.com
Les Belles Heures (France)
The brightly coloured neckerchiefs from Les Belles Heures stood out at Pitti. The delicate scarves from this new Parisian brand are a product of Italian and French craftsmanship: they are made from an Italian silk-rayon blend, digitally printed in either Italy or France, and hand-rolled in France. They’ll bring a touch of flair to your winter wardrobe.
les-belles-heures.com
De Bonne Facture (France)
Déborah Neuberg’s Parisian brand is always excellent and this houndstooth jacket is no exception. Unstructured and unlined, it will keep you looking sharp yet relaxed. It’s made from a super-soft Italian wool and was sewn by a family-owned atelier in Châtillon sur Indre. Also look out for the brand’s Camarguaises cowboy boots.
debonnefacture.fr
Nanamica (Japan)
This brand is always reliable for technical products with a fashionable flair. We were particularly taken with these pullovers, which are made from super-warm Polartec 300 fleece. The contrasting pocket is a nice touch.
nanamica.com
Howlin’ (Belgium)
Our go-to brand for playful jumpers, Howlin’ is the work of Antwerp-based brothers Jan and Patrick Olyslager. Their pieces are manufactured in Scotland, Ireland and Belgium using wool sourced from the north of Scotland. This kaleidoscopic design contains the maximum number of colours that the machine it is made with allows.
howlin.eu
La Paz (Portugal)
Porto designers André Bastos Teixeira and José Miguel de Abreu always bring a rugged charm to Pitti. This season, alongside shearling jackets based on archive designs, they presented a line of unstructured hats. The pieces are taken straight from the moulds and, unlike most hats, are not pressed further, which gives them a relaxed aesthetic. Meanwhile, La Paz is set to open a shop in the Portuguese capital this year (its second, after Porto).
lapaz.pt
CDLP (Sweden)
CDLP made an impact in its first outing at Pitti. Andreas Palm co-founded the underwear label in 2016; its quiet, elegant briefs, boxers, socks, swimwear and pyjamas are made in Portugal. Sustainability is a focus: the socks are made from bamboo, the swimwear from recycled plastic.
cdlp.com
La Perruque (France/Sweden)
Robin Nozay and Robin Hureau split their time between their native France and Sweden, where all of their handsome leather goods are made by hand in a Malmö workshop. These natty neck-pouches are made from calf leather.
laperruque.co
Sease (Italy)
Sease is relatively new on the scene but the Milanese brand, which focuses on high-performance outdoor gear, is fast accruing a fan base. This Drone blazer is smart yet functional; it is made from a nylon-cashmere-wool blend, with roomy pockets and rubber zips.
sease.it
Poente (Portugal)
Poente and Caiágua (see next slide) were two standouts from the pavilion of Pitti’s featured nation: Portugal. It was heartening to see a spotlight being shone on Portuguese brands; despite the country being a manufacturing powerhouse, few homegrown brands are known. This young eyewear brand was founded by Bernardo Romão, who comes from a family of glasses-makers and designs cool acetate shades and specs (all made just outside Porto).
poente.pt
Caiágua (Portugal)
Why not bring some cheer to a rainy day? The sherbet-coloured raincoats by Caiágua, a two-year-old brand by José Cabral, are just the thing if you find yourself in the north of Portugal, which receives more rain than London and Copenhagen combined. “[We wanted to make] a garment that leaves a smile on people’s faces,” says Cabral of his products, which are made in Portugal (of course).
caiagua.com
Paraboot (France)
This historic French company was founded in 1908 and last year relocated to a new factory in southeast France. The Chambord model is a Paraboot classic and this season it comes in a grainy, coffee-coloured leather.
paraboot.com
Iris Von Arnim (Germany)
Hamburg knitwear guru Iris Von Arnim’s new collection of sumptuous cardigans, turtlenecks and jackets includes this espresso cashmere shawl-collar jumper, which is made in Italy.
irisvonarnim.com
Serapian (Italy)
This historic Milanese leather-goods house was acquired by luxury conglomerate Richemont in 2017. Its autumn/winter wares, which are all made in Italy, include this sturdy wine-red suitcase in calf leather.
serapian.com
Parajumpers (Italy)
Among the covetable coats on the Parajumpers stand was this tangerine down jacket, which is part of the brand’s “Outstanding” line. It is made from ventile, a hardy warm and waterproof woven cotton, and will keep you looking sharp – and help you stand out from the pack – during the chilly winter months.
parajumpers.it
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