Pitti Uomo 104 records 17,000 visitors

By

Elena Passeri

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Jun 19, 2023

The summer session of the Pitti Uomo menswear show in Florence ended on June 16 after three intense days, having welcomed 17,000 visitors in total, including 12,000 buyers. Of the latter, 6,700 came from Italy, up by 6%, and 5,300 from other countries, a 24% increase over June 2022. The 12 countries with most Pitti visitors were the following (in ranking order): Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Japan, Spain, Turkey, USA, France, Switzerland, China, Belgium and South Korea.

Figures that have reassured both the show’s organisers and its 825 exhibitors, pleased to see the event bouncing back and gradually returning to its pre-pandemic numbers. Further proof of this were the many initiatives and events held across the city, 110 of them during the show’s three days. “It's not just a matter of numbers: there were plenty of top-notch buyers, the best of them have returned to [Florence] highly motivated and keen to attract customers back to their stores and department stores,” said Raffaello Napoleone, CEO of organiser Pitti Immagine. “The key feature of Pitti Uomo’s 104th edition, besides a sustained European presence, was the fact that Asian operators were back in numbers, approximately 700 of them in total. They came not just from Asia’s three leading markets – mainland China, South Korea and Japan – but also Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, even India and Pakistan. I would like to take this opportunity to thank ICE [the Italian foreign trade agency], which enabled us to help foreign buyers and media travel to Pitti Uomo, and has also provided valuable intelligence assistance on new markets,” added Napoleone.

Antonio De Matteis, the boss of Kiton, in his first Pitti Uomo session as president of Pitti Immagine, said he was very satisfied with the response of Italian retailers. Despite being understandably cautious, they turned up in numbers, notably the sector’s front-runners, those specialised stores that are worldwide trend-setters. “I am happy for our exhibitors, for my colleagues, who have done a great job in terms of new materials and style and who continue to believe in this trade show. The Pitti team never stops researching and scouting, adding services, putting together special events and working on strong communication. These results are also a reward for them, even if everyone, starting with myself, knows how far there is still to go. And Florence – thanks to so many popular events – was once again a cheerful, feverish swarm of voices, faces and colours, the essence and source of inspiration for any event based on human relationships. I also want to thank UniCredit, our main partner, whose contribution is of great importance,” added De Matteis.

“There were many novelty elements in this edition of the show, and it seems to me they were very much appreciated,” said Agostino Poletto, managing director of Pitti Immagine. “The show’s international dimension was evident not just in the presence of buyers but also in the many projects and collaborations featured at the Fortezza, showcasing the research efforts of young designers and creatives from all over the world, thanks also to the support of Fondazione CR Firenze. The programme included several events that were a great success, in terms of attendance and media attention: from the prestigious runway show by Fendi, which chose Pitti to present its latest collection and its new factory, recently opened near Florence, to the eclectic creativity of the show’s guest designer Eli Russell Linnetz of ERL, who not only came from California to Florence with his first-ever runway show, but also made his creative mark [on Pitti Uomo] with the Make Believe installation, created with the contribution of the Florence Chamber of Commerce. The programme also featured plenty of other events, both in the Fortezza and across the city, many of them sponsored by our exhibitors. It was a Pitti Uomo session in which exhibitors, buyers, journalists and all the industry professionals who came to Florence truly took the session’s theme, ‘Play Your Game at Pitti’, to heart” concluded Poletto.