Another success for Pitti Uomo

The premiere menswear fashion fair Pitti Uomo has once again come to a close. This season the event, held at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence , attracted 710 exhibitors with 867 collections, and a total of 21,219 buyers.

"It was an energy-filled edition," said Raffaello Napoleone, chief executive of Pitti Immagine. "The new points on the Pitti Uomo were really successful; the Fashion District contributed to making the new geography of menswear more legible, as did the reinforcement of the Classico work in the Main Pavilion. The overall impression we got of the buyers' quality is excellent, and in terms of numbers, the turnout was steady at the highs reached at recent editions. From the Pitti Uomo observatory we can say that the signals of recovery in men's fashions are here and we hear them in Florence , loud and clear."

The majority of buyers were Italian (12,747), slightly down from last year due to a train strike on Friday. Foreign buyers included Germans, Japanese, British, Dutch, Turkish, French, Belgian, American and Chinese. Eastern Europe made a strong appearance, with Russia , Poland , the Czech Republic and Latvia all visiting the event in greater numbers than in previous seasons.

Despite the long waiting list to participate in the fair, the organisation does not plan on expanding it any further. It simply selects the newest, best brands each season. "Every season, a team of 14 of our people identify the best brands and most innovative companies and invite them to participate in the fair," Napoleone said. Naohisa Fujita, fashion director of Japanese department store group Isetan, appreciates the groundwork that has gone into the selection process. "Innovation and research are in the foreground. Here you can make direct contacts with fashion designers and creatives from all over the world who have been pre-screened by careful scouting."