T he new edition of Pitti Uomo 96; the international reference event for fashion and lifestyle for men’s wear, will take place in Florence, Italy from the 11th to the 14th of June. Fashion shows, events and exhibitions will enliven the Fortezza da Basso; an historic fort nested within the 14^thcentury walls of Florence, and the entire city will present a preview of the new men trends for Spring/ Summer 2020.

The event Pitti Uomo was created by Pitti Immagine srl, an Italian company that has been promoting fashion and industry design since the 1950’s.  Pitti Immagine srl is the brainchild of Giovanni Battista Giorgini who, in 1951, set up residence at Villa Torrigianiand held the first fashion show for American buyers and journalists. From that initial success forward, fashion shows were held in the stunning Sala Bianca, The White Hall located inPitti Palace.  This exclusive setting became a reference point for international fashion  and it continues today, making the Pitti legacy world-renowned.

Silk protagonist at Pitti Uomo
Silk has repeatedly been front and center at Pitti Uomo, demonstrating that it is not exclusively reserved for women’s wear. In fact, during Pitti Uomo 95, which took place in January of 2019, silk was the pièce de resistance in the show created by Maria Luisa Frisa, entitled The Male – Androgynous Mind, Eclectic Body- a show dedicated to the exploration of maleness and how the iconic brand Gucci has presented and defined notions of the male body since the 1960’s. Silk was a focal point and took the form of the famous red silk shirt with bow: the iconic garment with which Alessandro Michele made his runway debut as creative director of Gucci in January 2015.

Also during the same edition, silk remained a protagonist with both the budding brand Kinlochand the iconic sartorial brand E. Marinella. Kinloch, a young brand that produces 100% Made in Italy luxury accessories, brought forth a collection of scarves made of fine Como silk with prints dedicated to the magical city of Venice. 

And this year the iconic sartorial brand E.Marinella,during an exclusive event at one of Florence’s finest gardens, the Limonaia del Giardino Corsini,the Lemon Grovein theCorsini Gardenswill recount its 105 years of history by celebrating its sartorial tradition, its famous ties and its archival fabrics–including silk. 

Silk “easy to wear”
In reality silk too, lives a new season as it presents itself anew to the public during the events at Pitti Uomo. While silk brings quality and elegance to garments and accessories, it is often characterized as a ‘difficult’ or ‘challenging’ fabric. However, contemporary lifestyle loves mixing styles, tastes, genres and consequently also materials: breathing new life into silk, as tradition meets innovation and pure yarns are worked with technical fabrics.

“The luxury of the new dandy does not renounce masterly details and charming atmospheres, but rather subordinates them to the content of lightness and performance on a cashmere field jacket with a technological soul and a silk parka with an anti-drip treatment”. (from a Pitti Uomo 95 report on men trends)

Silk, like other fabrics, takes on new identities: it can be in line with the times while simultaneously dressing itself in a new identity less tied to set patterns. This and the next editions of Pitti Uomo will keep us updated on its evolution.