Florentine Notes – Style

The Pitti Uomo menswear fair, which took place in Florence for the 105th time, has almost returned to pre-pandemic levels, presenting 832 brands. They cover all style registers and price niches: from ultra-luxury to indie brands, designer sports and street style brands. The author of the Bon Mot telegram channel, Alexander Rymkevich, shares his impressions of the exhibition with Kommersant Style.

Ultralux

One of the exhibition’s key exhibitors, Brunello Cucinelli, has over the years grown into a global megabrand, with turnover last year exceeding 1 billion euros. The strength of the brand is its consistency and consistency of image: you can add new items to your wardrobe every season, and they will go well with models from previous collections. Brunello Cucinelli is the perfect indicator of the season’s trends. Flannel, cashmere and corduroy are always present in her collections, this time in the most trendy shades: all shades of white, pink and salmon, heather and purple. Separately, it is worth noting the brand’s tennis capsule, which clearly makes it clear that it has everything necessary to launch a successful sports line.

The Stefano Ricci brand has always worked in the niche of unabashed luxury, but as we know, luxury in the new world loves silence. The brand has significantly updated its image: its style has become more consistent and strict, if not minimalistic. In Inner Mongolia, China, where the world’s best cashmere comes from, the company has begun an important project to create the exclusive Stefano Ricci Alpha Yarn, a luxury only a few companies in the world can afford. The raw materials are processed in Italy, and the final products are particularly soft, light and durable.

There is also a new player in the luxury segment, although his name is well known. The Herno brand, known as a manufacturer of high-quality outerwear – mainly down jackets, has expanded the collection to a complete wardrobe. It includes classic, but quite modern and informal models: flannel suits, corduroy jackets, drawstring trousers, and knitwear – from polos to massive chunky knit cardigans.

Reimagined classics

Niche and small brands that are distinguished by their boldness and level of creativity are represented at the exhibition in all their diversity. The L’Impermeabile brand, whose name translates as “waterproof,” literally embodies the idea of ​​the standard Italian raincoat, which boomed in the 1960s. The brand draws on its own archives, but along with classic trench coats, it also offers modern models: reversible trench coats with Scottish tweed, as well as bombers and jackets inspired by workwear in the L’Impermeabile Blue Label line.

The Japanese brand Coherence is in the same niche, but its coats and jackets—brilliant in their simplicity—are inspired by specific pieces of artists, musicians and writers. For example, photographer Robert Doisneau and jazz player John Dizzy Gillespie.

It’s impossible not to notice that fashion is moving towards greater informality and rethinking the classic suit. Among the most successful examples of this approach is the Antos brand. It was founded in Japan by Rafal Antos, a designer who went through a serious school in the Armani team and managed to work in Los Angeles, London and Hong Kong. He uses exclusively Japanese fabrics, and in his minimalist style it is not difficult to notice a strong design element. Here Rafal is undoubtedly one of Armani’s best students.

Of the shoe brands whose positions are traditionally strong in the Russian market, it is worth noting Barrett, especially its least formal models: Chelsea and Derby with a wide rubber edging that protects shoes from moisture and dirt. Despite the external solidity, in reality these are almost weightless shoes.

This time, the Doucal’s brand clearly demonstrated what true “quiet outdoor” is – this is the term used by the Business of Fashion publication to designate a trend that combines the notorious quiet luxury and the fashion of wearing functional clothes. The brand presented the Belvedere Ice Club model, created in collaboration with Vibram. Their patented Arctic Grip All Terrain outsole responds to temperatures below 0 degrees and provides better traction on slippery surfaces. Externally, the model clearly refers to the aesthetics of ski boots of the early 20th century.

New luxury

Brands from India have appeared at Pitti recently, but have already made people talk about themselves. In terms of the quality of manual labor while maintaining affordable prices, no one can compete with the Indians. The Kardu brand is already sold in Moscow and attracts attention with embroidered shirts, bomber jackets and jackets, made from dense fabrics woven on hand looms, more reminiscent of bright carpets.

A more traditional Indian craft, hand embroidery, often done by men, is represented by Maison Mirab. His intricate pashminas are created in Kashmir. Since such accessories themselves attract attention with their brightness and exoticism, they go well with more neutral things.

The debutant of the exhibition, the Countrymade brand from New Delhi, on the contrary, studiously avoids obvious ethnicity. Its designer, Sushant Abrol, uses traditional techniques—handwoven fabrics, embroidery, intricate dyeing—to create conceptual pieces that draw influences from punk, rock, and even post-apocalyptic aesthetics.

Finally, the newest symbol of luxury is accessories for pets, for which a small Pitti Pets pavilion was allocated at the exhibition. Italians do not spare any money for children and pets. Collars, leashes, carriers and beds can easily compete with fashion accessory brands in terms of the quality of materials and processing. Thus, one of the best Italian furniture manufacturers Poltrona Frau, which is famous for its work with leather, presented a collection for animals that fits perfectly into a luxurious interior.