The January 2025 edition of menswear event Pitti Uomo in Florence was positive for British brands, with strong attendance from buyers across Europe, Asia and beyond. Many UK exhibitors reported meaningful conversations, new connections, significant orders and a sense of optimism despite challenges in the global market.

The event took place amidst a gloomy global economic landscape, with many British businesses approaching the first tradeshow of the season with trepidation. Whilst Pitti Uomo remains the world’s leading menswear trend show which offers British brands the chance to showcase their high-end products, challenges in key markets including the EU, Japan, South Korea and the USA meant that many British companies were cautious leading into the show.

This year, 44 UK companies showed at Pitti Uomo making the UK the fourth national group behind Italy, Germany and France. The UK is the only one of those countries not to offer grants and/or incentives to their companies to show at international tradeshows. UKFT’s presence at the show was supported by the Department for Business and Trade.

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Prior to the show, UKFT circulated a briefing for UK exhibitors at all EU shows about the new EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) which came into effect on 13 December 2024 and will have a significant impact on any non-EU brand, retailer, importer or distributor placing goods on or making goods available to the EU or Northern Ireland. The regulation will cover all finished fashion and textile goods. It requires them to appoint a physical EU Authorised Representative (EUAR) whose physical and digital contacts should appear on the goods or their packaging. The regulation further requires companies to undertake a risk assessment which the authorities may request to see in physical format at the EUAR’s address. UKFT prepared this document to update the industry on what the EU regulations require and how the implementation is expected to proceed based on verified and reliable information as there were some cases of misleading information having been circulated to UK companies.

Jamieson’s

HM Consul General in Milan Mr Kassim Ramji visited the show for the first time and toured the stands on the second day of the show. UKFT had an industry information stand in Salone M with a group interpreter. The stand featured the Government’s GREAT branding and showed UKFT’s film “UK Fashion & Textiles: It’s what we’re made of”, which was especially well received (Watch now). The stand was busy throughout the show and received visits from key buyers from the USA, Japan and the EU. UKFT also distributed over 500 exhibitors lists on the stand and around the show and, by prior arrangement, in the press office.

The 107th edition of Pitti Uomo ended with positive results: 13,300 buyers visited with approximately 5,000 being international (i.e. non-Italian). In total the show was visited by approximately 20,000 visitors.  These figures reflected a positive increase from the most recent seasons. There was a double-digit percentage increase in buyer visitor numbers from Spain, Japan, Belgium and the United States.

The top countries in attendance from buyers were (in order) Germany, Spain, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Turkey, Japan, United States, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Greece, Russia, Austria, Portugal, South Korea, China, Sweden, Canada, Poland, Ireland. Italian buyers were reported to be very positive and there was room for some cautious optimism as key Japanese customers placed good orders with British companies. Russian buyers continued to be active at the show as they have been for the last few seasons. Whilst the UK group reported that they had seen fewer US buyers than the year before, most expected to see them in Paris or Chicago in the following weeks.

There were a number of new exhibitors this season and some returning after a break. These included BDXY (new collection from the Welsh actor Luke Evans), Coxmoore, Endura, Equipement de Vie, Hancock, Jack1t, Ma.strum, Mackintosh, Shore Studios and Soar Running.

Simon Harris, Sales Director at BDXY said: “At BDXY we are still in our first year of business. Showing at Pitti for the first time was a fantastic milestone. The show was very busy and we were delighted to see so many great customers from around the world. We wrote orders with customers in Mexico, Italy, Australia and Japan, as well as meeting potential agents and distributors from a number of key regions. It was very encouraging to see so many buyers open to new brands. We managed to pick up some significant global press coverage from being at the show.”

Daniel Dunko, Director at Hancock said: “The last time we showed here was 2018. The world has changed a lot since then, but we have seen a good selection of buyers from Asia, Taiwan and Japan, a lot of EU buyers from Italy and Germany. Not so many Americans but we did make a couple of potentially key contacts. Overall, a very good cross section of people came onto the stand. The show was better than expected given the current climate.”

Huw Griffith-Jones, Sales Director at Fox Umbrellas said: “The show hasn’t been the busiest for us but it’s still been positive overall. We have seen some new clients which we have taken orders from and had an old customer come back who hadn’t purchased for a while.”

Euan Denholm, Head of Brand at Edward Green said: “There is a bit of a negative narrative in the UK, but the atmosphere here has been really positive [here]. There is a lot of potential out there for British exporters. Pitti is a really great opportunity to meet in person with our regular customers. We see a lot from Italy and Europe as well as Asia. Everywhere from Tokyo to Mexico.”

Garry Jamieson, Manager at Jamiesons of Shetland said: “This has been the best edition of Pitti since Covid. Whilst we haven’t seen quite as many South Korean and Japanese buyers as we might normally have done, the first three days were buoyant and enthusiastic.”

Paul Alger MBE, Director of International Business at UKFT, said: “This has been a very positive show for UKFT and the 44 British brands at Pitti Uomo this season. All our brands have told us they have had some good conversations with important buyers from around the world, made new connections and written orders.”

UKFT’s activity at Pitti Uomo is supported by the Department for Business & Trade (DBT). This is part of our Discover British Brands campaign, which showcases and promotes UK fashion and textile brands exhibiting at events across the world. Click on the link below to find out more:

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