The 108th edition of Pitti Uomo which took place in Florence from 17-20 June 2025 has been generally hailed by exhibitors as an unexpected success. Taking place against the backdrop of global uncertainty caused, in no small part, by the President of the United States’ constantly changing and unpredictable tariff announcements which have dented US and global optimism and growth, this was the first international menswear show of the season and was set to become a key barometer for how the fashion and textile industry should be looking at the world for the next three to four years.

The show was busy during the first two days, with a sense of renewed optimism, although many exhibitors still believe the summer edition should run for three days and close on Thursday.

UKFT successfully secured group promotion support for the show from the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), enabling UKFT to take a stand in Salone M, promote the UK group of 39 exhibitors – including three new participants – and provide social media coverage and on-site logistical support throughout the event. HM British Consul General Kassim Ramji visited and toured the show on the second day, accompanied by UKFT. We were also pleased to welcome DBT’s Charles McCall and Richard Hall to the show on Wednesday and Thursday. Separately, UKFT co-hosted a summer reception with Margaret Howell at their impressive store on Piazza Goldoni on the second evening of the show.

The show registered a drop of 7% in the number of exhibitors compared with summer 2024. UKFT’s 39 UK exhibitors made up part of the show’s 730 exhibitors, of which 43 % were non-Italian. Notable UK absences this season were Walker Slater (consciously skipping the summer edition) and Tricker’s, whilst Superdry returned to the show alongside new British entrants Beorma, Silpa and Oscar Deen. UKFT was pleased to be visited at the show by five UK brands who were looking to see whether they could apply to show in January 2026.

The cancellation of the popular and effective Tradeshow Access Programme (TAP) in 2021 continues to have a long-term negative impact on new British entrants and returning SME exhibitors across international trade shows. This has contributed to the UK’s weak export performance, especially when compared with competitors such as Italy, which continue to invest significantly in export support. While most of the UK regulars showed, there were only three new UK brands at the show this season and as a result the UK has lost its coveted place as the second national group after Italy, now coming in as fourth national group after Italy (with grants from ICE), France (with grants from Promas) and Spain (with grants from ICEX) which all offer generous grants to their exhibitors for this and other shows. UKFT continues to push heavily for a new Tradeshow Access Programme with grants for UK companies who are frustrated at being left behind but it seems that MPs need to hear much more frequently and vocally from their constituents to encourage the Treasury to consider a policy change.

In spite of the slightly smaller UK group this season, it was clear that the UK remains a very important part of the Pitti Uomo show with a unique selection of high quality menswear, footwear, jewellery and accessories maintaining the UK’s strong visibility. Feedback from British exhibitors was broadly positive: they praised the quality of international buyers and the fair’s robust platform for expanding into European and Asian markets.

According to the show organisers’ official figures, over 11,400 buyers attended the event, with overall visitor numbers including press exceeding 15,000. International (i.e. non-Italian) buyers from over 100 countries increased by nearly 3% compared to June 2024, while Italian buyers registered a slight drop. Overall there was a net 3% increase in the number of stores represented at the show compared with the previous edition.

Whilst there was a slight decrease in the number of European buyers, this was more than offset by growth outside Europe: first and foremost from the United States and China, followed by Japan and other Southeast Asian economies. The organisers also recorded promising growth from key markets that had previously shown limited participation, including Australia, Brazil, and India. Countries from Eastern Europe and the Middle East also performed very well, as did new markets in Central Asia, including Armenia and Kazakhstan. In all there were 5,450 international buyers and just under 6,000 Italian buyers, demonstrating that the gap is narrowing between Italian and international buyers after Covid as the show becomes increasingly international. Before Covid, Italian stores outnumbered international ones by almost 3:1.

The leading foreign countries in terms of visitor numbers in order were:  Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Netherlands, Japan, Turkey, United States, France, Switzerland, Belgium, China, Greece, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Austria, South Korea, Canada, Denmark, and Australia.

These figures and the underlying trends were largely reflected by the feedback UKFT received by the British exhibitors at the show. UKFT saw most of its regular Japanese contacts at the show, including United Arrows, Ships and Beams. UK companies reported doing business with key US independent stores and there was more interest from South Korea, China and India at the show. UK exhibitors reported increased interest from Belgian buyers, likely driven by an influx of wealthy residents relocating from France – mirroring the trend of UK non-doms moving to sunnier locations.. Buyers from Russia were still active at the show, as were those from neighbouring Armenia and Kazakhstan, which form part of a customs union with Russia.

Paul Alger MBE, director of international business at UKFT, said: “We have been pleasantly surprised by the optimistic and upbeat mood from buyers at Pitti Uomo this season and the fact that so many travelled to Florence with a view to discuss future business and, in some cases, to place orders. We have been especially impressed that so many buyers from the US, Japan and as far away as Australia, as well as a rekindled interest from buyers in the EU. We very much hope that this enthusiasm and engagement build over the season in Paris and beyond.”

Raffaello Napoleone, CEO of Pitti Immagine said: “The atmosphere over these four days has been truly positive, right from the start…  We’ve worked hard on international collaborations — from the spotlight on Korean fashion and lifestyle in the new CODE Korea section, to Scandinavian Manifesto, to the excellence of Japan’s J∞QUALITY, the creativity of China Wave, and the presence of French brands supported by Promas and Spanish labels through ICEX, all the way to our support of Ukrainian fashion with Angel for Fashion.”

Whilst the UK was not specifically mentioned in Napoleone’s quote due to the size of the group and the lack of government grant aid, it is worth noting that UKFT and Pitti Immagine continue to work very closely together to support British businesses at the show and the UK and Italian governments work closely together, especially in areas of commerce and the easing of trade between the UK and the EU.

With this in mind, UKFT was especially pleased to be able to greet and accompany HM Consul General Mr Kassim Ramji as well as representatives from the Department for Business and Trade and the British Embassy Rome at a lunch with Raffaello Napoleone at which a number of issues were raised by UKFT including the implications of the EU’s (currently voluntary) Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) labelling which UK and Italian suppliers have concerns over due to its failure to recognise the post-consumer recycling benefits of natural fibres such as wool, cotton and linen.

Charles McCall, representing DBT said: “We were proud to support 39 British businesses on their export journey, helping them grow and thrive in international markets. At a time of global uncertainty and evolving trade dynamics, we worked closely with these and many other companies to help navigate challenges, unlock new opportunities, and build lasting commercial success. The UK fashion and textile industry is both traditional and innovative, demonstrating resilience and adaptability. It remains recognised globally for these and many other qualities. Their ambition and craftsmanship were a testament to the strength of British enterprise and its ability to thrive on the world stage.”

Bill Leach of John Smedley commented: “Overall, a very good show, and one that exceeded our expectation. At John Smedley we were very pleased to hear from our visiting customers reporting on good current season sell-through and to see some optimism in the air for SS26. There are clear concerns surrounding potential escalation of the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, and of course, the impending impact of new tariffs threatened by the President of the US. We had a strong attendance from Japan, China, Hong Kong and Korea as well as some potential new partners especially from the SE Asia region.”

Peter Keep of Minnessak reported a quieter show this season: “Pitti is still seen as important for larger brands to be seen at but for us, we don’t take orders there and go in the hope of being seen. We did have some very interesting discussions, mostly with other brands, on future collaboration. If these conversations come to fruition, it will have been a great Pitti.”

Maurice Greig of Hardy & Parsons generally agreed: “I had 23 visitors on my stand and three orders, two of which were from existing customers. On the last day we had very few visitors and no orders reinforcing the general impression that the show should drop the last day.”

Richard Utting of Loake was especially upbeat, reporting “Loake’s best summer edition since Covid.”

Meanwhile, William Church of Cheaney said: “There is no other forum like Pitti! Although the show has decreased in size and by number of exhibitors there is still a healthy footfall of visitors from all over the world. It has now become much more about quality of visitor than quantity. The show always provides a great networking opportunity not just with potential customers but also other like-minded brands which provides a lot of useful knowledge sharing.”

Euan Denholm of Edward Green said: “”There’s no substitute for Pitti — where you can meet up with so many global retailers and opinion formers in a single place. And it’s great to sit down with partners and get a sense of how the industry is feeling. Whilst fewer of our retailers made the trip than in the recent past, those we did meet had broad smiles, and were generally optimistic. Our new models were well-received — there was a clear appreciation of the unlined design language we’ve developed in recent years.”

Babette Wasserman of the eponymous brand said: “Pitti Uomo June 2025 was a strong show. The summer edition is often quieter with regards to orders than the winter edition, however the level of buyer was very good, mostly looking for high quality product and good service, which is what we offer in our men’s cufflinks and bracelet range at Babette Wasserman.”

Ruby Sandhu at Tateossian said: “It really was a mix of global buyers with most buyers writing orders for SS26 during the show. As in previous editions, we see that some buyers attend for a shorter duration, due to high costs of visiting Florence, especially in the summer. Most of our buyers most buyers were going to Paris.”

UKFT’s activity at Pitti Uomo was 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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