Image Courtesy of Vanni Bassetti.
Each season Pitti Uomo in Florence marks the start of one of the leading platforms for men’s fashion. Unlike the subsequent men’s fashion weeks in Milan and Paris, Pitti Uomo focuses on interdisciplinary concepts: The four-day-event born in the 1970s combines classic trade fair business with interactive design talks, multidimensional exhibitions and fashion shows in some of Florence’s most unusual locations. SLEEK took a closer look at four of this season’s highlights.
Image Courtesy of Marine Serre.
Marine Serre
The venue for the Marine Serre show was already a literal highlight in itself. Located just outside Florence in the mountains of Fiesole, the French designer with Algerian roots decided to present her collection at Villa Maiano – a magnificent 15th century estate with lush gardens where roses meet aromatic lemon trees. As the sun began to set, Marine Serre sent 49 looks through the perfectly coiffed box trees In appropriate fashion for Pitti, her focus was clearly on men’s wear complemented by twelve couture looks honouring the sheer opulence of the location and the chance to showcase outside of France for the very first time.
The collection titled “Sempre Legati” (engl. always bonded) featured both menswear and womenswear showcasing sartorial luxury affair combined with glamorous femininity and the golden age of Italian cinema, blending craftsmanship and Couture sophistication with a tribute to local savoir-faire. Serre focused on the cuts and shapes, with the perfect drape to enhance the wearer´s poise. Large pieces of jewellery sparkled in the warming sun and sensual fabrics draped around the model´s bodies. Upcycled patchwork styles – a must in every Marine Serre collection – were sprinkled through the line up underlining the brand’s sustainability efforts. Lastly, Marine Serre closed the show with eight all-white outfits made from bed sheets, pillowcases and tablecloths commenting “today, I cannot create without sadness looking at the world around me. The collection symbolises a call for peace and bond”.
Image Courtesy of Paul Smith.
Paul Smith
Paul Smith presented his latest collection at Villa Favard, a gorgeously ornate 19th century villa in the centre of Florence, known for its intricate frescoes and grand proportions. The villa transformed into Bar Paul: a tribute to the Italian cafes that Paul frequented in Soho in the 1960s. Typically open all night, these cafes were a place for people to go after most scene clubs had closed for the evening. Naturally, they drew a creative and intellectual crowd of musicians, artists, and designers who helped to make Soho the epicentre of the creative world at that moment in time.
The presentation space was set up with cafe tables completed with ‘Bar Paul’ branded items such as napkins, coffee cups and sugar packets to evoke those after-hours meetups of Soho’s artistic circle. The collection itself expands upon this theme, with a pleasingly louche and tactile approach to tailoring. Ties are worn loosely knotted, paired with denim chore jackets and unstructured blazers in cotton canvas – a look which suggests an artist heading to dinner straight from a day’s painting in the studio. Suits are cut from classic houndstooth and Prince of Wales fabrics, bringing to mind London in the ‘60s, while outerwear uses bold statement fabrics to eye-catching effect. The presentation also announced an exciting new project coming in early 2025 – a capsule collection with Lee® consisting of printed denim, jacquard trousers, woven tops, and t-shirts.
Bild mit freundlicher Genehmigung von Ferragamo.
Museo Salvatore Ferragamo
A hundred years have elapsed since Salvatore Ferragamo opened his first store in Hollywood in 1923, across from Grauman’s Egyptian Theater, confirming the success that he had reached in the United States where he had emigrated in 1915. In its main hall, the Egyptian Theater hosted theatrical performances and all the Hollywood premiers, including The Ten Commandments directed by Cecil B. DeMille, who asked Ferragamo to design and make the shoes for the main characters. From that moment on, the young Italian would be known as the “Shoemaker to the Stars” and would become a major player in international fashion, and Ferragamo’s production would diversify into three lines: shoes for the movies, for the theatre and for the ballet. To commemorate this special anniversary, the new Museo Ferragamo exhibition, Salvatore Ferragamo 1898-1960, recounts the illustrious artisan’s story. Today, his creations are presented not only to highlight their aesthetic value but also as artefacts attesting to Ferragamo’s skills as an entrepreneur and innovator, his passion for colour and knowledge of the anatomy of the human skeleton, specifically the foot. A must-see for every fashion enthusiast and shoe fetishist!
Image Courtesy of Plan C.
Plan C
Plan C was founded in 2018 by Carolina Castiglioni, the daughter of Marni founder Consuelo Castiglioni. With Plan C, Carolina thinks beyond trends and seasons and offers a distinctive look at a contemporary lifestyle and offers a collection for individualists who combine their wardrobe according to their own sense of style. It combines masculine and feminine elements, plays with eye-catching colours and bold prints and uses special materials. Every item of clothing and every accessory is designed as part of an ideal wardrobe that is expanded season after season with new ideas and inspirations. For the launch of the men’s collection, Carolina Castiglione created a wardrobe consisting of ten summery looks, which are complemented by accessories, a tote bag, a rucksack and two sandals. Mixing sportswear, tailoring and utility references, she develops long-lasting garments, becoming the uniforms of authentic, powerful and determined individuals.