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Fashion United
4 hours ago
- Business
- Fashion United
Pitti Uomo faces overall situation sportingly
Pitti Uomo remained resilient, once again demonstrating the importance of industry gatherings at the Florentine menswear trade show, amidst a global landscape shaped by war and trade disputes, and subdued consumer sentiment. Although the start appeared somewhat slower, Pitti Uomo shone in its full glory from the second day of the trade fair onwards, with good attendance. Pitti Immagine managing director, Raffaello Napoleone, was pleased about this, having already noticed comparatively more national and international buyers on the first day than in previous seasons. Industry meets in Florence The increase perceived by the trade fair chief was also confirmed by the figures. According to forecasts published by the trade fair organiser on Thursday, the trade fair was expected to conclude with 11,500 to 12,000 trade visitors and record over 15,000 visitors in total. This would put the 108th edition of Pitti Uomo on par with the June 2024 edition. "Pitti Uomo is a symbol and a concrete instrument for promoting and developing trade – in every economic phase, even in times of change, such as we are probably experiencing right now," said Napoleone. "The response from buyers from over 100 countries across five continents is the best we could have hoped for." Philippe Celeny, Digel's chief sales officer, expressed satisfaction with the visitors at the trade fair. Although the first morning seemed somewhat weaker and the frequency in the aisles appeared restrained, similar figures were recorded as in the January edition of Pitti. Around 600 buyers gained insights into the brand's collections over the three-and-a-half days. With 100 square metres of stand space, significantly more than in the previous edition, Digel had ample room to present its casual wear and more classic looks. Buyers from Germany and Italy, as well as from France, England, and the US, were in attendance. Digel at Pitti Uomo Credits: Ole Spötter for FashionUnited For office and leisure Menswear increasingly adopted a hybrid approach in the casual wear segment. Buyers were looking for an alternative to the jacket, as heard at both Digel and shirt specialist Olymp. Overshirts made of linen and softer blends for blazers were well received. AlphaTauri, the casual wear brand of the Austrian conglomerate Red Bull, showcased a sporty approach to the hybrid jacket with an integrated hooded jacket. Trousers continued to widen in the mainstream, uniting the casual look for the office and leisure. German clothing supplier Drykorn focused on a lightweight zipped jacket combined with wide-leg suit trousers in its casual wear. In tailoring, it presented such a cut with a slim-fitting blazer. Paul & Shark at Pitti Uomo Credits: Ole Spötter for FashionUnited Drykorn showcased these silhouettes under the umbrella of the 'Harbour Club', where the imaginary dockworker met the businessman, and thus workwear met business wear. With this approach, the Kitzingen-based brand entered the right waters, resulting in a positive atmosphere, reported chief sales officer, Benny Jandl. Of course, the typical maritime stripes were not to be missed. For SS26, they found a place on shirts in a casual form and various widths at several brands, including streetwear brand Icecream, denim specialist Replay, and Olymp. The pattern rounded off the transition between work and leisure, especially for the more classic brands. A tie with puffer at Ssstufff Credits: Ole Spötter for FashionUnited Fun being an increasing part of formal wear was demonstrated above all by young brands in their reinterpretations of the tie. Whether at Spanish streetwear brand Ssstufff, which presented the tie as a voluminous eye-catcher as part of a puffer jacket inspired by a business shirt; as an oversized leather look at the young English label Śilpa; or as a cut-out variant at the Korean guest brand Post Archive Faction, brands found individual ways to reinterpret the classic accessory. Ties at Śilpa Credits: Ole Spötter for FashionUnited Tie art at Post Archive Credits: Ole Spötter for FashionUnited In terms of qualities, the mainstream also opened up more to higher-quality knitted polos with higher price points, explained Elias Banai, who is responsible for sales in Northern Germany for Olymp. For the company, maintaining turnover was paramount, as the overall situation remained difficult and the shirt specialist also had to adapt to the current shift towards knitwear. Some retailers had not had such a good start to the current year. Nevertheless, Olymp remained optimistic and hoped for a better second half of the year. Sports enthusiasts Last season, the trade fair put running in the spotlight; now it was cycling. With the integration of the Becyle bicycle trade fair, which launched last year at the start of the Tour de France in Florence, the current edition, with Pitti Bikes, was all about cycling. Within the outerwear segment, several cycling specialists were represented accordingly. But other brands were also inspired by the theme. Among them was the German streetwear brand Prohibited, which presented a lifestyle cycling jersey – without performance aspirations – in a bright pink. They were able to attract between five and ten new partners for order appointments and enthuse up to 30 interested parties from German-speaking countries, Italy, and the UK. Cycling jersey by Prohibited Credits: Ole Spötter for FashionUnited Overall, sporting activity played a major role throughout the trade fair grounds. Fashion was moving ever closer to the theme of wellness, and people simply wanted to be well-dressed when they exercised, said Napoleone. Even traditional clothing suppliers were increasingly opening up to the segment and using activewear fabrics for their collections. Ellesse with XXL tennis at Pitti Uomo Credits: AKAstudio-collective for Pitti Immagine Whether at the installation of the Italian sportswear brand Ellesse, where visitors were invited to a match with XXL tennis rackets, Champion's journey through its own history in sports such as basketball and boxing, or Bikkembergs' collaboration with Russian designer Gosha Rubchinskiy to revive the brand's football-inspired roots, the sporting spirit was omnipresent. Former professional footballer Luis Figo was also part of the event. His eponymous brand dedicated itself this season to a golf-inspired casual wear collection, but with a significantly smaller ball than in his active playing days. Former professional footballer and brand founder Luis Figo Credits: Ole Spötter for FashionUnited The Italian-based brand of the Portuguese focused particularly on muted colours such as beige and cream tones. This was a picture that emerged at many stands. Various shades of green, brown tones, and different gradations of blue also shaped the image. Drykorn also used a 'burned red', among other colours. Overall, the colour palette seemed to stem more from autumn than from a cheerful spring. From Scandinavia to Korea Like the brands, the trade fair was also in constant flux to keep up with the times. This year, sport replaced the pet brands that were still part of Pitti last year, equipping four-legged friends with fashionable accessories and pieces. But for the time being, the event wants to stick to the handlebars of Pitti Bikes next season as well. In addition, there were more and more international collaborations, bringing their local talents to Florence and thus strengthening the global flair, to which buyers from almost 50 different countries naturally contributed. Halfway through the third day of the event, the number of registered foreign buyers stood at 4,400 – an increase of 3 percent compared to the previous year. The number of Italian buyers who visited the trade fair remained at the level of the previous summer edition, the trade fair organiser announced. Of the approximately 740 brands exhibiting at the trade fair, 46 percent were from abroad. Valoren at Pitti Uomo Credits: Ole Spötter for FashionUnited This season, for the first time, alongside the separate areas for Chinese and Scandinavian brands, a curated area of Korean brands was part of the trade fair. With Code Korea, brands such as Ordinary People and Ajobyajo, which had previously mostly shown their collections at fashion shows in Seoul, now wanted to open up to the European market. Meanwhile, trade fair organiser Pitti Immagine could not imagine presenting itself with an Italian delegation at a foreign trade fair, said Napoleone. They wanted to remain true to the fortress walls of the Fortezza da Basso exhibition grounds with their unique atmosphere and stand out from the crowd. Although they had already received numerous offers from New York to Paris, Pitti preferred to focus on its own format and thus tried to remain true to itself even in difficult geopolitical times. This article was translated to English using an AI tool. FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@
Fashion United
4 hours ago
- Business
- Fashion United
Switzerland: Watch exports fall in May after record sales in April
Following substantial deliveries to the US in April, in light of impending tariffs, Swiss watch exports declined in May. However, the 'boomerang effect' proved less pronounced than anticipated, according to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH). After a significant increase of 18.2 percent in April, Swiss watch exports across all markets fell by 9.5 percent to 2.1 billion Swiss francs in May. 40 percent of this decline can be attributed to reduced shipments to the US, the FH announced in a statement on Thursday. This 'significant decline' was expected, given the substantial increase in the previous month. In April, watch exports to the US saw an exceptional year-on-year increase of 149.2 percent. Swiss watchmakers had attempted to rapidly build up inventories in the US market to safeguard against potential tariffs. In May, shipments there fell by 25.3 percent. However, the FH noted that this 'boomerang effect' was 'more moderate than expected'. The White House's announcements in early April regarding reciprocal tariffs came in the midst of the Geneva Watch Fair and acted as a shock to the industry, which must produce its watches in Switzerland to bear the coveted 'Made in Switzerland' label. Since 2021, the US has been the most important sales market for Swiss watchmakers. Demand there has surpassed that from China and Hong Kong. With the decline in May, global watch exports since the beginning of the year totalled 10.8 billion francs – a 1.1 percent increase compared to the first five months of 2024. "However, this result does not reflect the actual sales situation, which has seen a less favourable development," the association warned. The export figures do not reflect actual sales, but rather retail orders as retailers replenish their inventories. Watch exports also declined in other markets in May: by 17.4 percent to China, 10.5 percent to Japan and 12.6 percent to Hong Kong. In Europe, exports fell by 14.5 percent to the UK, 18.1 percent to France and four percent to Germany. This article was translated to English using an AI tool. FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@
Fashion United
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Fashion United
The devil is in the details: the street style of Pitti Uomo
Pitti Uomo has long served not only as the unofficial kickoff to the menswear season, but also as a masterclass in sartorial excellence, particularly in the art of tailoring. In recent years, however, the once-celebrated and occasionally mocked figure of the 'Pitti Peacock' has, while not entirely vanished, become something of an endangered species. This season, too, the most compelling interpretations of street style weren't necessarily from the suited and booted gentlemen – though they were, as ever, reliably hatted and often dressed in terracotta tones that echoed the city's famed golden hour. Rather, it was the attendees whose ensembles featured the most intricate details who stood out amid the crowds, braving the Florentine heat at the fair's longtime home, the Fortezza da Basso. FashionUnited has rounded up some of the best street style trends spotted so far at Pitti Uomo Paint by numbers Street style at Pitti Uomo thrives on detail – and this season, it was the playful use of what looked like hand-drawn doodles and paint that truly stood out. Rather than relying on classic patterns or logos, many looks were adorned with elements that evoked finger painting, hand-drawn illustrations, and seemingly random scribbles, reminiscent of sketchbooks or children's drawings. Street Style at Pitti Uomo Credits: ©Launchmetrics/spotlight From painterly spirals and wine glasses on wide-legged trousers to a cream workwear jacket covered in cartoonish ducks, scribbled words, and stitched-on graphics, wearers treated their clothing as a medium for storytelling. Embroidery Street Style at Pitti Uomo Credits: ©Launchmetrics/spotlight It wasn't just paint that made a mark on the season—embroidery also took center stage as a tactile counterpoint to the playful brushstrokes seen elsewhere. Threads replaced ink, lending garments a sense of craft and permanence. From botanical flourishes stitched across jackets to folkloric motifs quietly blooming on backs and sleeves, embroidery became a language of texture and tradition. Sport-inspired silhouettes Another notable shift, one that already started a hold in previous years, was the unabashed embrace of sport-inspired silhouettes, a genre often overlooked at such a tailoring-centric event. Whether through retro soccer jerseys, oversized mesh layers, or baseball-style shirts, attendees leaned into athletic aesthetics with a knowing, almost ironic sophistication. Street Style at Pitti Uomo Credits: ©Launchmetrics/spotlight One example was a vintage green Adidas football shirt styled with wide-legged trousers and loafers, blending pitch-side nostalgia with Italian polish. Another was a powder-blue mesh training vest over a button-down, complete with a baseball cap and wraparound sunglasses, nodding to early 2000's skater cool and a third look was composed of a classic white and blue 'Cougar' baseball jersey, paired with slouchy olive chinos and a leopard-print cap. Ties as canvases Street Style at Pitti Uomo Credits: (left and middle) ©Launchmetrics/spotlight, (right) Enrico Labriola Art wasn't only present in the form of doodles on clothing but also made a bold appearance on ties, transforming a once-conservative accessory into a vibrant medium of self-expression. At Pitti Uomo, ties became walking canvases, splashed with sunflowers, peppered with miniature birds, or woven with lush, tapestry-like florals. These weren't just playful prints but rather painterly statements that stood out against relaxed tailoring and oversized shirts. Camouflage made to stand out Street Style at Pitti Uomo Credits: (left) ©Launchmetrics/spotlight, (middle and right) ChillaxingROAD In a season where artistry and intention were paramount, even camouflage – long associated with utilitarianism and anonymity – took on new meaning. Rather than blending in, it stood out. Worn across a spectrum of silhouettes and contexts, from tailored jungle jackets layered over crisp shirts and ties to slouchy cargo pants paired with denim and trucker caps, camo didn't feel like military cosplay but rather its own sartorial statement.
Fashion United
8 hours ago
- Business
- Fashion United
UK: Retail sales take a hit in May as consumers cut back spending
New figures by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have shown a drop of 2.7 percent in retail sales volumes during May, representing the largest monthly fall since December 2023. The decrease comes after a more promising April, in which volumes rose 1.2 percent. Sales were also down by 2.7 percent compared with pre-Covid levels in February 2020, and thus reached their lowest level since December 2024. In contrast, over the three months to May, volumes increased marginally by 0.8 percent when compared with the three months to February 2025. When compared to the same period last year, sales were up 1.7 percent. While food sales took the largest hit at 5 percent, non-food stores saw sales volumes drop by 1.4 percent over the month, mainly due to a decline in clothing and household goods sales. Textile clothing and footwear stores reported a decrease in sales volumes of almost 2 percent. This was even more significant online, where monthly sales dropped by just over 3 percent for such stores. This was compared to an overall 1 percent drop in online spending values over the month to May 2025. In a statement to FashionUnited, Matt Jeffers, MD, retail strategy and consulting at Accenture, said 'retail sales suffered as consumers continued to feel the squeeze from rising household bills and an extended period of cost-of-living pressure'. Jeffers continued: 'While improving consumer confidence offered a glimmer of hope, that sentiment didn't translate into spending and sales were the lowest in months, with food hit particularly hard. Fashion, household goods and big-ticket purchases all saw weaker performance, with many households opting to cut back or trade down. 'Some of May's softness likely reflects summer purchases brought forward into April, when Easter and spring bank holidays coincided with exceptionally sunny weather. But recent cybersecurity issues faced by a number of retailers will also have had an impact, disrupting stock availability.'
Fashion United
a day ago
- Business
- Fashion United
Pitti Uomo: Homme Plissé Issey Miyake embraces Italian spirit
Homme Plissé Issey Miyake presented its collection at the Italian menswear trade show Pitti Uomo, drawing inspiration from the country and its people. The menswear line from the eponymous Japanese designer used the opportunity, following its time at Paris Fashion Week, to embark on a new path, a spokesperson explained at the press conference on Wednesday before the show. 'Open Studio' is the new chapter for the label known for its pleated pieces. It was presented for the first time in Florence with an exhibition and catwalk show. Country and people Homme Plissé Issey Miyake exhibition showcased various objects and inspirations for SS26 Credits: Ole Spötter for FashionUnited For this, the design team left its Tokyo studio and travelled to Italy to capture the Italian lifestyle. The team studied the colours of various objects and surfaces in Italian cities; from a glass of red wine to an anchor to the wall of a house. Based on this, the designers created an extensive colour palette for the SS26 collection. Homme Plissé Issey Miyake SS26 Credits: ©Launchmetrics/spotlight The local communities, as well as the journey itself, also became part of the inspiration. Homme Plissé Issey Miyake showcased an asymmetric 'painter's' waistcoat, which, with its many compartments and pockets, was perfect for the team's brushes and paints on the trip. In addition, various voluminous jackets were part of the collection, which could be transformed into the piece's transport bag with a few hand movements. Homme Plissé Issey Miyake SS26 Credits: ©Launchmetrics/spotlight 'Open Studio' will remain part of the Homme Plissé Issey Miyake concept in the coming seasons and will be an opportunity for the design team to explore new places and find inspiration. This article was translated to English using an AI tool. FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@
