FLORENCE — Is Pitti Uomo eventually cracking the menswear market?
The sector is highly fragmented, with fairly fixed tribes occasionally blending into one another. But the four-day menswear trade show, which closes here Friday, provided an array of fashion options for spring 2027 — not for lack of curation but out of ambition to keep pace with the shifting market dynamics.
“Pitti Uomo has a unique ability to bring together every facet of menswear culture, from traditional sartorial tailoring enthusiasts to fashion-forward buyers, designers and creatives. This diversity creates a rich and inspiring environment where heritage and innovation naturally coexist,” said Victor Poulsen, men’s luxury and designers buyer at Printemps.
Amid geopolitical instability and uncertain prospects in harsher times, buyers and industry operators enjoyed the show (save for the exceptional heat wave that caught European showgoers by surprise), betting on a rosier second half of the year, especially if the Iran-U.S. truce holds.
“From a business perspective, there was a clear sense that the industry is increasingly focused on buying less, but buying better,” said Sophie Jordan, Mytheresa’s menswear buying director. “Much of the conversation centered around making the fair more commercially relevant and business-driven, while still preserving its role as an important platform for relationship building and networking.”
Energizing the menswear business is clearly top of mind. According to figures provided by Confindustria Moda, exports of Italian menswear fell 1.7 percent in 2025 to 9.4 billion euros, dented by a 5.7 decline in markets outside Europe.
Among the sweeter spots, France and the U.S., the top two importers of Made in Italy products last year, grew 3.5 percent.
The U.S. has emerged as the single most resilient market for the wider fashion sector and brand executives were especially keen to engage with Stateside consumers and buyers. At the traditional Brunello Cucinelli dinner on Tuesday, Joshua Jackson and Paul Anthony Kelly caused a frenzy and more American buyers from specialty stores were in attendance this season.
“The American market was a primary focus and mentioned by many brands as being particularly strong,” observed Bruce Pask, associate vice president, men’s fashion office at Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. He contended that this edition of the showcase “felt vibrant and energetic, with crowded booths, aisles, and events and a real optimism in the air.”
As uncertainty boils, a sense of pragmatism ran through many of the collections on show, with brands tapping into different genres and subcultures within the same collections without losing authenticity. The latter trickled down into the spring collections, rich in worn-in treatments, especially for leather and suede outerwear, intended to spotlight heritage — and perhaps tap into Gen-Zers’ knack for buying vintage.
“The men’s luxury market is clearly shifting its focus toward quality, innovation and substance, speaking to true craftsmanship and longevity. The spotlight remained firmly on the collections rather than street-style trends,” said Young-Su Kim, senior vice president, general merchandise manager, men’s, home, jewelry, beauty and men’s fashion director at Bergdorf Goodman.
“As the foundation for the upcoming spring season, collections were commercially grounded and thoughtfully merchandised for the retail customer. ‘Made in Italy’ still stands as the meaning behind the brands seen at Pitti Uomo,” echoed Pask, who also highlighted the relevant curation of international labels, including guest designer Jiyong Kim, a buyer favorite.
At the same time, according to Poulsen, brands are eager to court — and educate — a younger demographic. “One of the most notable developments this season was the effort many brands are making to engage a younger, more fashion-conscious audience while remaining true to their DNA,” he said.
“I observed a growing dialogue between craftsmanship and contemporary design, with brands embracing more expressive silhouettes, stronger creative narratives, and elevated casualwear, all while maintaining a strong commitment to quality and product excellence,” Poulsen added.
This could be seen in the brighter colors that popped throughout the fairgrounds, especially on linen suiting and shirting, the ongoing trend of fluid, soft tailoring “that still commands authority,” as Kim put it, or the hybridization of utilitarian and sartorial sensibilities, best epitomized by Brunello Cucinelli’s cargo-pocketed pants, as well as Rag & Bone’s and Stefano Ricci’s Saharan jackets, highlighted by Pask.
“Brands continued to reinvigorate the classic menswear wardrobe, this time with a bit of sun-faded sensibilities softening the seasonal palette,” Jian DeLeon, men’s fashion director at Nordstrom, said. To this end, both he and Jordan singled out Cucinelli’s garment-dyed cotton cable knits offered in a washed palette of rainbow hues.
Here, some of the top brands from the show.
L.B.M. 1911
A sense of ease permeated the L.B.M. 1911 collection, anchored to the brand’s DNA rooted in Italian tailoring traditions, but rendered in looks that read off-duty. Working a palette of earthy nuances, ranging from browns and beiges to the occasional hints of washed rusty red, burgundy and sage greens, it offered relaxed suits and suit separates with fluid pants, answering men’s demand for enhanced comfort. Many of the blazers with generous lapels were unlined and deconstructed or done in denim-looking linen. In the latter category, a chambray iteration was as light as a summer shirt, but still neat and flattering on the body, worn with a simple crewneck underpinning.
As it skews younger, novelty suits abounded, including a pinstriped number with baggy trousers and a zippered blouson, the utility ensembles with patch-pocketed overshirts and the short suit in wool, linen and silk hopsack blurring the boundaries between formal and casual.
L.B.M. 1911
Michele Ercolani/Courtesy of L.B.M. 1911
Giovanni Bianchi, head of design for parent company Lubiam, said the company is proving resilient amid geopolitical turmoil and dented consumer confidence, with the U.S. market and South Korea growing steadily. “We continue to update our aesthetic vocabulary without alienating our existing customers, that’s our recipe,” he said. “We’re also investing heavily on sourcing the best materials, because shoppers have become ever more knowledgeable and demanding.”
KNT
At KNT, Kiton’s brother brand, Walter and Mariano De Matteis’ mission to reinvent their family company’s traditionally Neapolitan tailoring for a younger generation came further into focus for spring. The exaggeratedly straight point-collared shirts are becoming a distinctive trait, as are the relaxed utility suits, this season offered in Herrington-jacketed versions crafted from frescolana wool or replacing the blazer with flowing trenchcoats.
KNT
Courtesy of KNT
In twisting heritage fabrics sourced from the Kiton-owned Carlo Barbera mill, the brothers plied archival Prince of Wales patterns from the 1970s into sportswear sets, while knitwear had a grandpa chic allure, with open weave polos and cable-knit cardigans nodding to effortless, 1950s Riviera elegance. The pair toyed with a daring palette of rusty orange and salmon pink, adding to the dapper, contemporary vibe of the collection.
Woolrich
It’s a great time for Americana and Woolrich is zeroing in on that aesthetic building on its legitimacy. Hitting the fairgrounds with the first collection developed under its new owner BasicNet, the 196-year-old American brand set the record straight on the direction it intends to take. Rooted in an outdoorsy proposition, designed to be seamlessly integrated into urban and everyday wardrobes, the brand is shifting away from performance, a given, to court customers with an aspirational lifestyle instead.
From fly fishing gear to countryside trekking attire, the collection spanned the great American outdoors. “About half of the American national parks live in perennial springtime, so the legitimacy of Woolrich for the summer season is integral to the brand DNA,” said Marco Tamponi, global brand manager at Woolrich. He highlighted the use of heritage fabrics with lots of cotton and cotton-linen blends, sometimes coated or waxed.
Woolrich
Courtesy of Woolrich
Field jackets were layered atop utility vests and preppy-ish Oxford shirts, grounded by combat boots and gabardine cargo pants. Buffalo checks and madras shirts were paired with more functional outerwear done in performance fabrics, while the Woolrich Woolen Mills line intended to explore signature styles and materials from the brand’s past came into the spotlight with original hardware and detailing. “We’re trying to build a distinctive look that screams Woolrich even without obvious branding,” Tamponi said.
Herno
As customers’ fatigue for luxury megabrands doesn’t seem to have reversed its course just yet, Herno’s “value for money” proposition is hitting the right notes. In the first half of 2026 sales were up 15 percent across geographies, president and chief executive officer Claudio Marenzi said. “We believe we are owning the sweet spot between the contemporary and luxury segments. In order to maintain our position, we need to constantly reinstate our authority by adding design value and quality to every collection. It’s the only way you earn customers’ loyalty,” Marenzi said.
Like many of his fellow entrepreneurs, he’s also aware that the men’s market is highly fragmented. To this end, Herno’s proposition continues to be rooted in versatility and diversification with drops and capsules catering to different targets.
Herno
Courtesy of Herno
The approachable spring wardrobe had whiffs of resortwear and a lot of urban-luxe outerwear, as in Saharan jackets crafted from denim-looking linen, garment-dyed overshirts and tropical wool bombers. A travel-ready range included packable anoraks and trenchcoats that could be turned into travel pillows and carried inside a cabin-size carry-on developed in partnership with luggage specialist FPM Milano. At destination, a high-summer lineup took cues from resortwear with linen shirts bearing bandana patterns with matching swimsuits and open-weave knitted polos with striped Cargo Bermudas.
Original Penguin
Back at Pitti Uomo after a few years’ hiatus, Original Penguin took cues from the Italian Riviera for its spring collection, harnessing its roots in American sportswear and legitimacy in the OG preppy look to evolve toward a lifestyle proposition that spans casualwear, swimwear and sports — golf among them.
As part of its Icons capsule edit of heritage-inspired designs, creative director Michael Miille — brought on board in 2024 by parent company Perry Ellis International — reissued the 1955 Ratner jacket in edgy and cool iterations, including a stadium coat decked in a camouflage pattern featuring the brand’s mascot Pete the Penguin. Textured knitted polos and cardigans evoked the laid-back allure of coastal destinations in the summer, be they the Hamptons or Portofino in Italy. Vintage-inspired playful and spirited patterns decked quick-dry swimwear, to be easily paired with matching camp shirts, souvenir Ts and knits.
Original Penguin
Courtesy of Original Penguin
With its first return to Pitti Uomo since 2019, Original Penguin is targeting a push into European markets. Last April the brand opened a new showroom in central London and is plotting an expanded presence at key retailers in the region such as John Lewis in the U.K. and a pop-up at Rinascente in Milan next September.
Paul & Shark
In the year marking its 50th anniversary, Paul & Shark took to the fairgrounds to celebrate the outerwear pieces that have defined its history.
Offering modern interpretations of archival designs such as the Paolo, Maestro and Aliseo jackets, designed by the brand’s founder Paolo Dini, they were done in an array of fabrics and materials, spanning suede, air cashmere and the signature Typhoon, water-repellent fabric. The Aliseo mixed media blouson with knitted sleeves was offered in water-repellent Aqualeather in rusty red, paired with lightweight knit underpinnings and loose chino pants.
Paul & Shark
Courtesy of Paul & Shark
Elsewhere the collection leaned on casual essentials, including textured knits, cotton pants cut in generous proportions, and breezy linen shirts. A resort-inspired capsule incorporated pajama sets with tropical prints.
