The 109th edition of Pitti Uomo in January proved a highly positive and encouraging platform for UK menswear exhibitors, with brands reporting strong engagement from both existing and new international customers. Exhibitors emphasized Pitti Uomo’s ongoing importance as a networking and commercial platform, connecting UK brands with global markets and reaffirming the appetite for heritage skills, responsible production and enduring design. Read more on our report from the show below…

Against a backdrop of a constantly changing and unpredictable new world order and an expectation of challenging trading times over the next few years, the 109^thedition of Pitti Uomo was anticipated with some trepidation. Would Italian and international exhibitors commit to show? Would the world’s menswear buyers and press visit? Would the buyers actually buy? To the resounding relief of the international menswear industry the answer to all three questions was a resounding yes, with UK and international brands generally happy with the results of the show.

UKFT took its traditional stand in Salone M, supported by the Department for Business and Trade. 45 UK brands participated in the show, three more than at the previous January edition. UKFT welcomed over 80 visitors to its stand and was pleased to host three potential returning brands, as well as four additional brands expressing interest in participating in future shows, encouraged by the strong international attendance.. Overall, the show welcomed 758 quality menswear, footwear and accessory brands. The UK is now the fourth national group at the show after Italy, France and Germany but there is a growing presence of Japanese, Chinese and Scandinavian brands at the show. Whilst the UK stood out at the show through the quality of its collections, it is clear that the lack of grants for UK exhibitors compared with the generous support offered to the Italians, French and Germans at this and other shows leaves the UK at a competitive disadvantage and removes the potential for growth and new British exhibitors.

The show was hailed as a resounding success by the organisers as it was visited by almost 19,000 trade visitors of which 12,500 were buyers. There were 5,000 international buyers, a marked increase on 2024, whilst the number of Italian buyers decreased slightly as in the previous edition. The largest groups of buyers were (in order) Italy, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Netherlands, Turkey, Japan, United States, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Greece, and Portugal. The show registered an increase in buyers from the United Kingdom, United States, Netherlands, Japan, Greece, and Portugal; while Germany, Spain, France, and Turkey saw slight decreases. The prominence of UK buyers is always talked about at the show even though the UK has fewer multi-brand independents than some markets. UK department and online stores were in evidence, as were UK buyers representing Middle Eastern stores such as Harvey Nichols.

The UK exhibitors confirmed that they had generally enjoyed a positive show with some reporting their best Pitti Uomo since 2019. The show was generally busy over the first three days although the last day was very quiet as always.  Exhibitors reported business and orders with new buyers, especially from markets such as Kazakhstan, Romania, Poland and even Albania. The feeling of the majority the British exhibitors was that this had been a positive and successful show, albeit that they would have to wait until after Paris Men’s Fashion Week for their orders to be confirmed.

Pitti Uomo remains a key launchpad for luxury and premium menswear, accessories and footwear and it was encouraging  to see renewed new interest from potential exhibitors once again. Whilst Paris Men’s Fashion Week is also growing with each season, Florence offers a unique opportunity for classic and luxury men’s collections in particular which do not have a natural home in Paris.

According to the British exhibitors at the show, buyers from the US, Japan, Korea and the Gulf were especially active at the show. Japanese buyers were highly visible with most of the department stores and specialty stores visiting but they were cautious and price point sensitive because of the continuing weakness of the Japanese yen. Korea remains a key market for many UK brands, still more important than Japan for some although there are some signs that the market is approaching saturation as Chinese duty-free sales in Korean stores continue to fall as there are fewer Chinese tourists to Korea. The Gulf was seen as a growing market for many UK companies and there was a perception that China was more positive and receptive to premium brands than had been the case last year. UKFT was also pleased to see a number of Indian stores at the show.

Italian retailers were reported to be still looking for new collections although there was talk about the financial performance of some of the larger Italian store groups and one of Florence’s main multi-brand independents. There was an increasing number of Russian buyers who were keen to buy from UK companies as they do from other nations despite the sanctions in place. Several companies reported that they had seen an increase in orders from Belgium and in the number of Canadian retailers looking to buy non-American collections. Whilst some companies also reported business with Turkish department stores such as Beyman and Vacko, there are ongoing challenges with the high costs of product testing for UK (not EU) companies under the UK-Turkey trade agreement and Turkey has added a new labelling requirement for products made with animal by-products such as wool.

Inevitably, there was much talk the current situation with fluctuating tariffs into the United States and the Chapter 11 status of Saks Global (Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman) which had left many UK and International brands with substantial losses and an inability to recover goods which had been delivered to the group based on unfulfilled promises of payment. It remains unclear what Saks Global’s new “normal” trading terms will be under the Chapter 11 arrangements or whether companies could secure credit insurance to protect themselves in the event that goods were delivered and not paid for.

UKFT has written to the Department of Business and Trade to ask whether UK Export Finance will offer to underwrite new orders for Saks Global. In the meantime, UKFT is recommending extreme caution for all new orders for Saks Global with secure terms of payment wherever possible while the group goes through the Chapter 11 process as there are likely to be further bumps along the road.

Richard Utting, representing Loake at Salone M in the Central Pavilion on his final show before a well-earned retirement, said the event had been extremely positive, with strong engagement from both their European and international accounts. Other brands echoed this, with those travelling to Paris Men’s Fashion Week feeling more optimistic about the year after a successful Pitti. Tateossian, celebrating 36 years at the show, reported a positive response from buyers from around the world including Asia and the Gulf, India and a number of newer markets in Central Asia.

Shirtmakers Charles Tyrwhitt reported a very positive show in Salone M and an interest to increase their space for next season. Shoemaker Crockett and Jones, also in Salone M, also had a good show and said they would like to look at a larger stand for the future although they recognised that space at the show was at a premium.

Bill Leach representing John Smedley in the Piano Attico of the Central Pavilion said: “Pitti Uomo exceeded our expectations. We arrived in Florence with a degree of uncertainty anxiety about the general economic situation and transatlantic tariffs which left us unsure as to how this edition would fare but, as early as Tuesday afternoon,  there was positivity in the air.  We saw a good mix of existing clients and new customers including  Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, US, Canada, and of course Europe, especially the strong Italian market. Customer and partner response to our collection and seasonal colour palette was really positive.”

Paul Walker of Walker Slater in Salone M said: “We had a very good show and were pleased to see both regular and new customers at the show. The mood of the show was positive and buyers were there to make decisions and write orders.”

Anthony Bunn of Edward Green shoemakers said: “Pitti Uomo continues to be an important platform for networking and marketing for Edward Green. The event allowed us to reconnect with our well-established European customer base, offering an opportunity to meet long-standing clients in one central location. In addition, we noticed an increase in attendance from American buyers, highlighting increased in interest from the US market. We were also pleased to meet with our regular Japanese customers, maintaining continuity in this key market.”

Alex Simpson representing Beorma said: “We were proud to return to Pitti Uomo for Beorma’s second showing this season, marking another important milestone for us on the international stage. Being back in Florence gave us the opportunity to build on the strong foundations from our debut, strengthen relationships, and show our commitment to British craftsmanship to an even wider global audience. The response exceeded our expectations. We saw a diverse range of buyers who are actively seeking high-quality goods made in the UK, with particularly strong interest from Japan, the United States, Australia, and across the EU. It was clear throughout the show that there is still a real appetite for heritage skills, responsible production, and enduring design, three things that we at Beorma a proud to offer. We’re immensely grateful for the support from the team at UKFT in helping us showcase the very best of UK manufacturing to the global market.”

Aldo Acchiardi representing  Harris Wharf London in the Sala delle Nazioni said: “Generally Pitti Uomo is picking up compared to previous editions although we are still a long way from pre-pandemic numbers. We continue to believe that this should be a three day show.  We are seeing a shift in focus toward independent retailers (especially important because of the Saks Global Chapter 11 situation).”

Alan Scott, returning luxury exhibitor in the Piano Attico said: “Pitti Uomo has always been a unique and vital support for our exposure and networking, reaching clients, agents and distributors and press from all international markets. It also gives us  an advantage by placing us in front of buyers before they go on to Milan and Paris. UKFT play a key role in that dynamic with real time business advice and introductions that help connect us directly to the market.”

Paul Alger MBE, international business director at UKFT said: “There has been a very positive energy at this edition of Pitti Uomo which has shown us that businesses can adapt quickly to new situations and build new and existing commercial relationships even in times of trouble. The  entrepreneurship and commitment of our British exhibitors and their outstanding collections has been exceptionally well received at Pitti Uomo this season.”

Find out more about UKFT ‘s Discover British Brands and Discover British Textiles campaigns, which showcase and promote UK fashion and textile brands exhibiting at events across the world, at the link below.

DISCOVER BRITISH BRANDS