There are several things you can count on when the Pitti Immagine Uomo men’s fashion extravaganza hits town every January: booked hotels, packed restaurants, and beautiful men cruising the streets in the latest styles. This year, however, you are sure to see a few more women in the mix. 2008 marks the 73rd edition of Pitti Uomo and the first ever edition of Pitti W Precollection—an event dedicated to previewing over 40 women’s collections for the 2008–2009 fall/winter season. Several top names are set to present their clothing and accessory lines including Mulberry, Cacharel and Archivio Privato.
But lady luck doesn’t stop there. Opening in tandem with Pitti W is an original tribute to Italian couture with the exhibit Donna Simonetta: La Prima Donna della Moda Italiana, at the Galleria del Costume in Palazzo Pitti. Fabulously stylish Donna Simonetta is considered the first working woman in Italian fashion and has been defined as the ‘best businesswoman in Italian couture and the new incarnation of Renaissance spirit.’ Now that’s a prima donna we can handle.