The Fortezza da Basso hosts the 110th edition of Pitti Immagine Uomo: over 720
brands, international guests and a journey that tells the evolution of dressing
masculine between tailoring, research and new languages.
Florence is preparing to welcome Pitti Uomo 2026, a key event on the calendar
men’s fashion international. From June 16th to 19th, the Fortezza da Basso will host the
110th edition of the event. Italian Traditions tells an event that surpasses the
exhibition dimension: here the men’s wardrobe is observed taking shape, between
Made in Italy excellence, new creative languages, materials research and a focus
increasingly marked to the relationship between dress, identity and lifestyle.
The theme of the summer edition is The Pool, developed by Chris Vidal Tenomaa and Tuomas
Laitinen by SSAW Magazine. The pool does not remain a simple visual suggestion, but
becomes the common thread of the exhibition: water and plays of light accompany a
reflection on the way fashion builds the image of the wearer. In the heart of the
Fortress, the installation curated by Philéo Landowski and created in collaboration with
Pascal Hachem interprets the theme through an out-of-scale tube structure, designed to
bring to the surface what usually remains hidden: infrastructure, work and mechanisms of
space construction. It is a consistent approach with an increasingly oriented direction not
only to the finished product, but also to the processes, contexts and narratives that
they accompany.
The 2026 edition brings together over 720 brands, with a significant international presence and a
proposal distributed in five main sections. Fantastic Classic remains the territory
of formal elegance, tailoring and brands most linked to the clothing tradition
man. It is here that Italian tailoring emerges most clearly, through its presence in the
Central Pavilion of maison and companies such as Brunello Cucinelli, Caruso, Sartorio, Stefano
Ricci and LBM 1911/Luigi Bianchi, alongside realities with a more strictly sartorial profile
like Sartoria Partenopea. Future Male instead concentrates the research collections, where
textile innovation and contemporary luxury meet. Dynamic Attitude looks at
sportswear, streetwear and casual heritage, while Superstyling collects the most
experimental, with less conventional silhouettes and a freer idea of dressing. I Go Out
brings outdoor and progressive lifestyle to the forefront, a sign of how much the relationship between fashion,
functionality and leisure is now central to menswear.
This structure allows us to observe more clearly what is happening in the
contemporary way of dressing. The suit does not disappear, but changes weight and function:
becomes softer, less formal, more adaptable to everyday life. Sportswear is no longer
a separate category, but it dialogues with tailoring. The outdoor, once almost tied
exclusively to technical functionality, it enters the urban language. Also accessories,
perfumes and lifestyle objects take on a more significant role, as demonstrated by Hi’s return
Beauty, area dedicated to fragrances, skincare and personal care.
This year, among the most anticipated names is Simone Rocha. The Irish designer, founder and
creative director of the brand that bears her name, will present on June 18th at the Teatro della
Pergola its first independent fashion show entirely dedicated to menswear. The choice
confirms Pitti’s desire to open the men’s wardrobe to less conventional languages,
capable of working on the codes of elegance without limiting themselves to the sartorial tradition.
Alongside her, DSM Kei Ninomiya will be Guest Designer with a Spring-Summer collection
2027 included in the event calendar. The Japanese designer, tied
to the Comme des Garçons and Dover Street Market universe, will bring research built on
forms, volumes and technical experimentation. Completing the picture of international guests is
will be JiyongKim, Special Guest of the edition, with a site-specific project at Warehouse 07
of the Fortezza da Basso, dedicated to the transformation of textile materials and surfaces.
The calendar also looks to Northern Europe with SUNFLOWER, starring a Special
Project carried out in collaboration with Copenhagen Fashion Week. The Danish brand
will present a parade on the terrace of the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, leading to
Florence an essential and contemporary vision of menswear. Overall, these
events strengthen the international dimension of the event: not just one
Italian showcase, but a platform where different creative approaches enter into dialogue with the
culture of dressing.
Pitti Uomo 2026 comes at a delicate time for the fashion industry. The market moves in a
context marked by prudence in consumption, geopolitical tensions and greater selectivity from
part of the retailers. In this scenario, the Florentine salon maintains a strategic role because
allows brands to directly engage with buyers and industry players, meet
business interlocutors, build relationships and evaluate the response to their collections. Not
It’s just a question of visibility: for many companies, Pitti remains a commercial space
reference, especially at a stage when product quality and the solidity of identity of
brand weigh more than just media exposure.
Florence is also participating in the construction of the event. During the days of the salon, the city
transforms it into an extension of the Fortress, with presentations, exhibitions, parades and related initiatives
to fashion schools, also hosted in symbolic places such as Palazzo Corsini, the Cloister of the
Santa Maria Novella complex, Palazzo Gaddi, Forte Belvedere and Villa Vittoria.
The 110th edition strengthens Pitti Uomo’s role as a menswear observatory
contemporary. Florence remains the starting point, but the story is increasingly global:
Italian tailoring, Asian research, Nordic minimalism, international sportswear,
outdoor and beauty coexist within the same platform. In this plurality lies the sense
of the appointment: to show a more conscious men’s fashion, less tied to formulas
rigid and more attentive to the relationship between product, identity and market.
