“Kick off” of the new fashion season, crossroads for young talents, essential showcase for big brands and stage for major events, the reference event for high-end menswear and lifestyle is back in Florence, where 825 brands are expected, 41% of which are foreign.

PITTI GAMES is the new theme of the Pitti Immagine summer fairs, chosen to express the optimistic mood with which the organisers are preparing to inaugurate the fashion and sales season. “We have gone so far as to imagine the Pitti salons as a big gaming table on which to have fun,” says Agostino Poletto, general director of Pitti Immagine, “but also to bet it all, to bet on oneself and one’s strategy.         

The format of this edition confirms some novelties introduced in January and aims at expanding and enhancing the exhibition formulas, with the objective of creating a dynamic and fluid itinerary lining the Fortezza, but at the same time never predictable or banal, because it is punctuated with new solutions and crossover proposals, which mirror the renewed needs of the market. There are five sections into which the Show will be divided – Fantastic Classic, Futuro Maschile, Dynamic Attitude, Superstyling and I Go Out – presenting the Spring/Summer 2024 collections: from classic to informal, passing through the world of research, which will be highlighted lining the Hall of Nations and the Arsenal.

Not only menswear, but also lifestyle and – as befits a summer edition – a special look at the most exclusive outdoor – from beachwear to camping and walking accessories. The special area dedicated to pets is also back after its successful debut last January.

Also back is I GO OUT, the section dedicated to international brands of clothing, accessories and objects for outdoor life, which will be presented in the Sala della Ronda with a new layout by Swiss designer Sebastiano Tosi (using an innovative material such as i-Mesh, a technical and sustainable fabric for architecture) and with an outdoor area in the Fortezza dedicated to the Japanese brand Snow Peak. Here, the outdoors will find new declinations, with a careful selection of outfits and accessories related to the worlds of cycling, walking, and camping.

A new layout will also involve S|Style, the Fondazione Pitti Discovery exhibition project curated by fashion journalist Giorgia Cantarini, which will host a selection of eco-responsible, innovative and research-based brands in the Sala delle Nazioni. And that’s not all: for the first time, the Kering Material Innovation Lab (Kering MIL) – the Kering group’s lining research centre, committed to reducing environmental impact – will provide the S|Style designers with a library of certified materials and fabrics for the creation of a capsule that will make its debut at the Fortezza.

The Italian government and ICE – Agenzia per la promozione all’estero e l’internazionalizzazione delle imprese italiane – are once again supporting the Pitti Immagine fairs, with an incoming programme of the best foreign operators, communication and special events. Moreover, in the Fortezza, Agenzia ICE is presenting the seventh edition of YOUNG ITALIAN START UP AROUND THE WORLD, a project aimed at promoting the most promising Made in Italy start-ups.

Special Guest: FENDI opens its Factory

An exceptional event dedicated to FENDI, who will present the Spring/Summer 2024 men’s collection in Florence with a special fashion show, by invitation only, at the evocative and recently inaugurated FENDI Factory, the Maison’s centre of excellence in the heart of the Tuscan countryside in Capannuccia (Bagno a Ripoli).

Guest Designer: Eli Russell Linnetz of ERL

The Californian designer Eli Russell Linnetz will present in Florence on the evening of 15 June – with a fashion show promoted by the Fondazione Pitti Discovery – his new summer collection, an expression of his vision and his crossover world between fashion, design and lifestyle, creating a specific project for the occasion.  Eli Russell Linnetz will also sign a large installation in the central square of the Fortezza da Basso.

Designer Project CHULAAP

The happy fashion of Chulaap colours Pitti Uomo, with a special installation in the Hall of Nations. The brand – founded in 2015 by Chu Suwannapha, a designer from Thailand by origin and South Africa by adoption – uniquely celebrates contemporary Africa, incorporating its traditions and combining them with motifs such as batik or details such as origami or embroidery. On Wednesday 14 June, at 2 p.m. in the Sala delle Nazioni, the Designer Project at Pitti Uomo 104 will also feature a special presentation by founder Chu Suwannapha.