Florence is calling – Style – Kommersant

The Pitti Uomo 103 men’s fashion fair, one of the fashion industry events that opens the year, has ended in Florence. For four days, 789 stamps were presented in the pavilions in the fortress da Basso. Catwalk show by Martin Rose and Jan-Jan Van Esse in the historical center of the city, new names in eco-fashion, the triumph of knitwear and the long-awaited return of buyers, correspondents and designers from Japan – we tell you what the new chapter in the history of Pitti Uomo will be remembered for.

Martin Rose conquers Florence

This time the organizers of the Pitti Uomo fair invited Martin Rose from London to perform as a headliner. The name of the British designer of Jamaican origin is now on the hearing – experts call her the main voice of the generation, comparing Rose with Virgil Abloh: Rose was even predicted to be the creative director of the men’s direction of Louis Vuitton. For the show at Pitti, she chose one of the busiest places in Florence – the Porcellino market, also known as Mercato Nuovo, where sellers of leather goods and souvenirs usually gather. Rose claims that her main inspiration is ordinary people, so the locals she found in the vicinity of Florence walked the catwalk: sellers from Mercato Nuovo, waiters from local cafes and muscular players of the Florentine Calcio. The collection featured the designer’s classic denim-themed sketches, football uniforms, comfy outerwear, mini bags – a parody of paper bags from luxury boutiques – and Nike collaboration heeled sneakers.

The Poetry of Jan-Jan Van Esse

A name in world fashion that you definitely need to remember. Jan-Jan Van Esse is one of the most talented designers in Belgium, a graduate of the Antwerp Royal Academy. For 12 years, he has been making fashion from the best eco-materials, hand-dyed using the oldest techniques, for an audience that loves freedom of movement (dancers and choreographers love Van Asch’s clothes). It was the debut show of the designer, and immediately in a special place – the stone halls and the courtyard of Santa Maria Novella, one of the symbols of Florence. The starting point of the collection, which Van Esse called Rite, is Pina Bausch’s ballet The Rite of Spring. The looks in Yang-Yang’s collection are inspired by his travels in Mali, Senegal and Japan, as well as the simple rectangular shapes of the boubou and kimonos. Which contrasted perfectly with the stone walls of the cathedral and medieval frescoes.

Course towards sustainable development

For the new season, the S/Style project has returned to the fair — a selection of ten young and innovative eco-brands from journalist and industry veteran Georgia Cantarini. Here one could meet and see the collections of many young labels. Kemkes from Amsterdam are brother and sister of Kemke. Together they select curtains, blankets and plaids with history and make streetwear looks out of them for every day. Or Dhruv Kapoor from India, who decorates men’s eco-cotton shirts with hand-crafted embroideries. By the way, these patches are made by masters who work, for example, with Dries Van Noten.

Fashion from all over the world

International guests have finally returned to Pitti Uomo – on the first two days of the exhibition, it was not overcrowded between the pavilions, as in the old days before the pandemic. This time, the organizers decided to focus on two areas: the Scandinavian countries (including Finland), as well as Japan. In partnership with the Copenhagen trade fair Revolver Copenhagen, the brightest labels from Norway, Sweden and Denmark presented their collections in a pavilion called Scandinavian Manifesto. The Finns, together with the niche publication SSAW, presented two brands: VAIN at the Palazzo Pucci (it was renamed the Finnish Palazzo for the presentation) and Rolf Ekroth at the booth in the fortress da Basso. The Japanese returned with two projects at once. The first is the J-Quality Factory Brand Project, for which Postelegant creative director Yuya Nakato designed 11 innovative fabrics from Japan. The second was Jlia Japan Leather Booth, which featured six leading brands in the leather industry.

Comfort and style

Comfortable knitwear is back in fashion: from cashmere jumpers and vests to wrinkle-resistant jackets and flannel shirts that can be worn with tailored trousers and comfortable jeans. For example, Brunello Cucinelli rely on the color of burgundy, like red wine. Cucinelli has finally launched his own production in the vineyards of Solomeo, the wine from the first vintage can already be tasted at the brand’s headquarters. British interior decorator Luke-Edward Hall’s brand Chateau Orlando also introduces cozy knitwear, focusing on jumpers with prints inspired by prayer cushions from Anglican churches. Frenchman Pierre Louis Masquiat, who held a chamber presentation at the Palazzo Antinori, presented jackets, sweaters and vests in bright colors. The designer was inspired by the natural beauty of nature and the poetry of Arthur Rimbaud, who loved to sing about it in his works.

More than fashion

This year, Pitti Uomo has two new directions at once – the SIGN decor and Pitti Pets fashion for pets. This says a lot about the needs of a modern man, and retail trends. Concept stores are increasingly selling clothes alongside dishes and candles, while luxury brands are launching full-fledged lines for pets. Basically, fashion for cats and dogs is created by manufacturers from Italy. They offer not only leashes and raincoats, but also personalized 3D printed bowls. The guests of the salon especially fell in love with The Painter`s Wife brand from Spain, which makes vests, raincoats and striped cashmere sweaters for four-legged friends – it is not without reason that experts call knitwear the main trend of the Pitti Uomo 103 exhibition.

Lidia Ageeva