With the arrival
of more than 30,000 people from the fashion industry, Florence once again
became the world’s fashion capital during Pitti Uomo. From June 15 to 18,
approximately 970 brands, 33 percent of which were from abroad, showcased their
2011 spring-summer collections in over 59,000 square meters of exhibition space
at the Fortezza da Basso.
Special guest of
Pitti Uomo was the Jil Sander firm, which gave a preview of its collection. ‘If
this is a Florence debut for Jil Sander, one of the driving forces in luxurious
and innovative men’s fashion, for Raf Simons, its creative director, it is a
comeback after several fashion projects . . . And as for us, having seen his
recent work for Jil Sander, we are again-or rather still-fascinated by his
extraordinary ability to be in step with the times,’ said Lapo Cianchi,
director of communications and events for Pitti Immagine.
Along with Pitti Uomo 78 was the sixth Pitti W_Precollections. The shows
were exhibited in the building of the ex-Dogana on via Valfonda, with special
guest Haider Ackermann, hailed worldwide for his poetic, visionary talent in
women’s fashion.
Pitti Uomo 78’s
main theme was ‘design watching’: ‘Pitti people’ (the journalists, buyers and
opinion leaders that attend the bi-annual fair) were left ideas and visual,
acoustic or verbal notes on contemporary design and fashion in an array of
outdoor and indoor settings by a team of ‘design watchers.’ A detailed look at
the fair’s events is available at www.pittimmagine.com
From June 14 to
18, a special exhibition featuring 18 of Tuscany’s top fashion firms was also
held in the Galleria dei Medici, in Palazzo Medici Riccardi. Entitled
Salabiancafirenze, the exhibit recalled the first fashion event staged in
Italy, the runway show held on July 22, 1952, in the Sala Bianca of Palazzo
Pitti.
Following Pitti
Uomo 78 is the Pitti Bimbo 71 fashion fair, showcasing upcoming children’s
fashion and trends. Running from June 24 to 26, it will feature as a main event
the world premiere of a new kids line by native Florentine fashion house Gucci.
The debut collection will be presented to buyers and journalists on June 24 at
the Gucci headquarters in Florence, located in via delle Caldaie.
On the occasion of Pitti Uomo, Polimoda held the second edition of its
fashion week from June 12 to 20. For more information on the citywide events organized,
see www.polimoda.com
DID you know?
Europe’s most environmentally friendly shop recently opened in Tuscany.
The Timberland store in Forte dei Marmi, Lucca, is called a 2.0 store because
it was built almost entirely with natural and recycled products. From the
shop’s furniture and decor to its exterior walls and changing rooms, it is made
mostly from recycled wood, and its lighting system has a very low impact on the
environment. The shop will showcase the international brand’s new clothing and
shoe lines, including the new Earthkeepers Boat Shoe 2.0 collection, which
features shoes that can be dissembled and recycled.
