Pitti Uomo kicks off 88th edition with a bang

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Jun 16, 2015

Pitti Uomo began in Florence on Tuesday with a flurry of excitement emanating from special events and initiatives held throughout the city! With 1,178 brands from 30 countries, including 498 that are foreign, or almost half of the exhibitors (42%), the major menswear show has announced a record edition. About 30,000 visitors are expected, including 23,000 buyers.

"This is our 88th edition and our 44th year. To last so long, it’s not enough to bring extraordinary exhibitors and buyers. You also need a good organization and a large dose of innovation. Over the course of these four days, we’ll put on some fantastic events," promises Gaetano Marzotto, president of the Florentine organizer Pitti Immagine during the opening ceremony, which was held on Tuesday morning at Palazzo Vecchio. 

So far, Pitti Uomo has set the tone by inviting press and buyers on Monday to watch a traditional game resembling soccer with participants playing in Renaissance costumes in front of the lavish Basilica de Santa Croce, with its white marble shining in the sun. "It’s an extraordinary monument that the Chinese can’t replicate," said Gaetano Marzotto, smiling, underscoring the importance of communicating the excellence of Made In Italy through the trade show in order to promote Italian SMEs around the world.

As such, Roberto Luongo, the organization’s CEO for the internationalization of Italian companies (ICE), recalls the government’s commitment to "an extraordinary plan taking shape this year with over 35 million euros allocated to major Italian trade shows from June 2015 to June 2016, with the intention for Italy to overtake its competitors, such as France and Germany, for the first time. This has allowed us in particular to bring some 200 buyers and journalists from around the world to Pitti Uomo."

On the program for this Florentine marathon: the 40th anniversary of CP Company celebrated on Tuesday, the Moschino men’s fashion show on Thursday, a presentation by the new Emilio Pucci designer, Massimo Giorgetti on Wednesday, and finally a tribute exhibition dedicated to Nino Cerruti, also on Tuesday.