Published
June 19, 2026
From the sartorial classicism of Italian tailors ensconced in the central pavilion to the refreshing creativity of English designer William Palmer, a finalist in the latest ITS competition, Pitti Uomo aims to showcase the diversity of menswear. And while the industry’s leading trade show, held at the Fortezza da Basso in the heart of Florence, is primarily designed to foster business connections between brands and international buyers, it also serves as a platform for creative and marketing inspiration.
In this regard, the runway shows—as well as the presentations and happenings that take over the Tuscan city—are just as integral to Pitti Uomo’s allure as the commercial offerings of the participating labels. This early-season rendezvous has become a stage for many designers.
It was on the stage of the Teatro della Pergola that Simone Rocha experienced “the most beautiful day in the process of creating a collection: the day of the show.”
A regular on the London fashion scene, the Irish designer delivered a collection of great subtlety for her first men’s runway outing. She fused her delicate aesthetic with masculine codes: beneath sweeping leather coats or cotton coach jackets, models—who crossed the stage before descending to stride purposefully through the audience—wore gingham shirts or sheer linen tops paired with satin or broderie anglaise shorts, or loose, long skirts. She finished the looks with bouquets of mauve flowers, white organza boas, and elegant bags. Lace, pearls, and embroidery appeared on tunics and aprons, or more discreetly on jumpers bearing motifs inspired by Florentine murals, as well as on a white suit that deftly showcased the designer’s expertise.
“I wanted them to express something tender yet grounded in reality,” she explained, keen to present a commercially viable collection, as her brand has boutiques in London, New York, and Taipei and is stocked in numerous department stores.
To this end, she played on the contrasts between key pieces of the formal men’s wardrobe and her expertise in sensual womenswear. Her rugby jersey, rendered in Florence’s emblematic purple, paired beautifully with satin boxer shorts. The combination was risky, yet proved nuanced, yielding a collection imbued with notable sensitivity—exemplified by the final look, comprising a silk organza tunic-apron with inlaid lace trims, paired with Prince of Wales check wool trousers, offering a clear nod to a wedding dress.
The designer brought a fine Florentine chapter to a close, before the industry decamped to Milan. The trade show had, in fact, given carte blanche to Jiyong Kim’s Korean label; the designer previously worked at Lemaire and Louis Vuitton during Virgil Abloh’s tenure. In an impressive installation, the label showcased its expertise in sun-dyeing—an approach that lets each period tell a different story, much like wine, with each vintage. Large canvases several metres high covered one wall, allowing visitors to compare the sun’s impact on different materials. At the heart of the space, arranged around a pool, around fifty identical coats were displayed, illustrating how the sun’s effect on a garment evolves from day one to day one hundred of exposure. The installation was accompanied by the presentation of its Spring/Summer 2027 collection, along with details of collaborations with brands such as Puma and Alpha Industries.
The sun was also a theme for the Danish brand Sunflower. A regular at Copenhagen Fashion Week, the label led by Ulrik Pedersen opened proceedings on Wednesday with a show at the theatre—an ideal setting as the late-afternoon sun raked across the façade of the imposing building and its esplanade.
The international cast took to the runway in the heat, moving to the rhythm of a live performance by the piano duo August Rosenbaum and Jakob Littauer. With a penchant for rock ’n’ roll references and the styles of the 1970s and 1980s, the Sunflower team continued to explore this rock-inflected aesthetic with one standout element: the cowboy boot. A leather jacket-and-trousers ensemble was worn directly against the skin; loose or deconstructed suits were paired with generously unbuttoned satin shirts; three-quarter-length coats are layered over pyjama shorts. And there was a steadfast obsession with denim, expressed through a vibrant colour palette and remarkable precision in the cuts. Sunflower brought a ray of Scandinavian colour to the Italian summer.
Even as the trade show closes its doors, the spirit of Pitti Uomo carries on into the night. From the opening of the “Gucci Storia” exhibition at Palazzo Gucci—which revisits the house’s ties to its hometown—to the cruise organised by Sebago, not to mention the many activations across the city’s boutiques, the whole of Florence beats to the rhythm of fashion.
Right up to Dsm Kei Ninomiya’s late-night show, which revisited the punk universe. The label—which complements the ultra-creative world of Noir Kei Ninomiya with a more commercial approach—unveiled its interpretation of the movement, featuring tartan skirts and jackets, deconstructed formal suits, playful uses of safety pins, distressed effects, and leather jackets. A carefully considered presentation deepened the immersion in its punk references.
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