6/14/2023
Vanity Fair
Pitti Uomo, and that desire to touch each other again
Three-dimensional fabrics, wefts that ask to be touched, plays on textures: in Florence, looking at each other is no longer enough. Now men want to be - again - stroked
JUNE 14, 2023
Pitti Uomo , edition number 104, is in full swing in Florence , in the usual spaces of the Fortezza da Basso. Spaces that are also, as usual, crowded with buyers, exhibitors, journalists, insiders and simply curious, who have landed in the menswear capital to find out what will be in fashion for next Spring-Summer , among the stands of the 825 present exhibitors.
For gentlemen, but not only: because - as more critically minded colleagues point out - the Florentine event is still called Pitti Uomo, but could easily be renamed Pitti E Basta . In an era of gender fluid now widely cleared through customs, among the stands of the fair par excellence of what until yesterday was menswear we come across - to all intents and purposes - such transversal and ductile proposals that, with sporadic exceptions, could very well also fit perfectly for her. But they are details.
Statue of Liberty
The theme of this edition - each edition has one - is Pitti Games . Even if, to be honest, the fun and playful dimension of fashion and creativity is not exactly the very first thing that crosses our mind when we look out into the large central square of the Fortress, where the Make Believe: The Making installation stands out in its grandeur of Planet of the Apes , specially created by the Californian designer Eli Russell Linnetz , guest designer invited to show on Thursday, the last day of this edition of Pitti Uomo, together with Fendi (which will hold its show in its Factory, the center of excellence of the Maison in the heart of the Tuscan countryside in Capannuccia) - founder and soul of the ERL label. The reconstructed film set is vaguely apocalyptic, expressly quoting the famous Hollywood cult movie. But which also opens up to different and more cheerful interpretations, becoming a catalyst for the imagination and starting point (or arrival) for the narration of different stories, all to be invented.
More and more outdoors
As always, at Pitti converge and dialogue with each other in a sort of glamorous Esperanto almost all the souls , sometimes even apparently contradictory, of the variegated contemporary menswear: from the most refined and reassuring classic to the most casual informal , passing through the various experiments of aesthetic and stylistic research . There is no shortage of particular attention from Pitti and its visitors towards brands that stand out for a more sustainable approach (we have also discovered new dyeing techniques that allow you to use 98% less water ), as well as for vintage research, which finds its own dedicated corner. But what is certain and which is strongly reconfirmed in this edition is the ever-increasing space (and market) that the clothing segment (but not only) designed for outdoor life is conquering . contact with nature , dynamic and healthy. An entire pavilion - I GO OUT - is dedicated to this segment, intended not only for undaunted camper enthusiasts, but for all those - and there are more and more - who feel the need for a life made up of sea, oxygen and greenery. Without sacrificing style.
Trends
In this mare magnum, answering the question «what will be fashionable?» it is as always almost impossible. We have seen everything and its opposite. But something, more evidently, returns in a recurring and insistent way from one stand to another.
Sixties/Seventies folk: we
had already identified it in the last edition
, but we find it again and again in this one
.
The folk style, with a vintage flavor and ethno flavors, continues to conquer us, with its suggestions that come from the Navajo universe as well as that of the Tuaregs, and in any case from the traditions of all corners of the globe. Relaxed, comfortable mood, perfect for the aforementioned
open-air life.
The
Rainbow Basics
. A simple shirt, comfortable trousers, a basic shirt: easy models, declined in an infinite number of different colors, in satisfying and surprising color charts. As if to say: find the model that's right for you, and then buy it in all the color variations you want. Easier than that?!
The return of
neon
: after years of soft and dusty colours, neon brushstrokes are back. But, beware, we have seen it abundantly only in the stands intended for the youngest. Take note (and note).
Denim : once again it is essential
The fabric that par excellence rhymes with comfort, this time also rhymes with research and ductility. we have indeed seen it everywhere, in a variety of astonishing interpretations.
Three-dimensional textures
: the macro-trend par excellence for Spring/Summer 2024 is undoubtedly that of material, three-dimensional fabrics, with clearly visible textures, which irresistibly induce you to be brushed, caressed, touched. From the thickest to the lightest cottons,
seersucker
, jacquard, crinkled: it's all a triumph of highly palpable textures.
Maybe that after the Covid distancing the time has finally come not just to see each other, but to touch each other again?
Federica Nargi guest at U.S. Polo Assn.
https://www.vanityfair.it/article/pitti-uomo-primavera-2024-tendenze-moda#intcid=_vanity-fair-it-bottom-recirc_223b270c-f4a9-4339-a624-946be92e0651_cral2-2