Beauty, guest designer and 'Motion': what Pitti Uomo 109 has to offer

Following Pitti Immagine's announcement of Soshi Otsuki and Hed Mayner as the first guest designers for Pitti Uomo, the trade fair organiser is now revealing the special project and further plans for the upcoming January edition. The trade fair will take place from January 13 to 16 at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence.

During the 109th edition of Pitti Uomo, over 700 brands will present their menswear collections for autumn/winter 2026/2027. In June 2025, 740 brands were represented, and in January 2025, there were 770. 44 percent of the brands are international.

Hibeauty

This year, the trade fair is also opening up to the beauty segment. Under the name 'HiBeauty', the fair will dedicate a specific area exclusively to the world of niche perfumery, one of this edition's key innovations. A selection of ten independent brands will be present. The new section builds on the experience of the 'Fragranze' trade fair, which focuses on artistic perfumery and niche skincare. “Thanks to an immersive setup, 'HiBeauty' illustrates the fusion of genres, which clothing stores and concept stores worldwide are following with growing interest. Pitti Uomo has not only recognised this development in retail but also aims to promote and further develop it,” said the organisers.

“Every edition of Pitti Uomo is the result of research, travel and contacts that our team makes,” emphasised Raffaello Napoleone, director of Pitti Immagine. “We study the most important fashion scenes in depth and meet designers and brands on-site to see how they work, move and are perceived.”

Motion

The upcoming edition will take place under the theme 'Motion'. “Everything is movement, transformation, story, and progress. The theme chosen for the winter editions of the Pitti Immagine trade fairs embodies the dynamism and versatile impulses that emanate from this word,” the organisers explained at the press conference on Wednesday.

The five sections of the event have been confirmed: Fantastic classic, Futuro maschile, Dynamic attitude, Superstyling and I Go Out.

Soshiotsuki, Hed Mayner and Shinyakozuka on the catwalk

As previously announced, Soshi Otsuki, designer of the eponymous Japanese brand Soshiotsuki, is the guest designer for the next Pitti Uomo. The winner of the 2025 LVMH Prize will present his style during a fashion show in Florence. Designer Hed Mayner, founder and creative director of the eponymous brand, will also be a guest at Pitti Uomo 109, where he will present his new collection.

Shinya Kozuka, a Tokyo-based designer and founder of the eponymous label 'Shinyakozuka', is known for his meticulous handling of form and proportion. His original silhouettes are often hand-painted or refined by the designer himself. He is the protagonist of the special event at Pitti Uomo 109, which includes a fashion show in collaboration with the Japan Fashion Week Organization. Shinyakozuka will also have a presentation space in the Futuro maschile section.

The Scandinavian Manifesto returns this edition, a section dedicated to Scandinavian menswear. The space, coordinated by the Danish fashion trade fair CIFF, will present a selection of Scandinavian brands with their new collections. The brands already confirmed include: Bareen; Brixtol Textiles; MessyWeekend; Neuw; Pica Pica; and Woodbird.

Contemporary Chinese menswear returns to the Fortezza da Basso with China Wave. This is the fourth edition of the special section, which originated from the collaboration between Pitti Uomo and the China National Garment Association, which also organises the CHIC trade fair in Shanghai. Participating brands include A New Studio; Amano; Always; Call It a Pure Day; Joe With Lol; Swof Care; Times Infinity; Weve; Wu Rang; and Zivgrey.

Thanks to the collaboration with the Promas French Menswear Fédération and Defi, there is once again a special focus on 'Made in France' creativity. Defi is the organisation for the development of French menswear and has established the Promas List, a platform for direct dialogue between buyers and brands. A selection of French brands will be present at Pitti Uomo 109: American Vintage; Armor Lux; Bombers Original; Cachí; Caleb Paris; Chapal; Corso Mille; Daytona73; De Bonne Facture; Emile Garçon; Francesco Smalto; Iron and Resin; Jagvi; Rive Gauche; Jott; Le Temps des Cerises; Museum Garments and The Hideout Clothing.

Roy Roger’s and Kappa present a ski outfit combining denim DNA with technical innovation

New in Florence in terms of collaborations is the partnership between Roy Roger’s and Kappa. They will present a ski outfit that combines denim DNA with technical innovation.

Guess returns to the Fortezza da Basso with the new collections from its two brands, Guess Man and Guess Jeans. Together, they embody the lifestyle of the American west coast and the future of denim in the revolutionary interpretation of Nicolai Marciano.

The historic Austrian loden brand Schneider's of Salzburg, founded 80 years ago, is returning to Pitti Uomo. This is in anticipation of a global relaunch of the brand by its new owner, entrepreneur Giovanni Schneider from Biella. The new collection for autumn/winter 2026 will be presented in Florence. Under the creative direction of Viviana Volpicella, the collection combines tradition with innovation. The foundation is the famous loden coats, further developed into garments of Shetland wool with check, tartan and herringbone patterns.

The trade fair organisers also announced that the following fashion retailers have confirmed their attendance so far: 10 Corso Como (South Korea); Avart from Switzerland; Beams from Japan; Breuninger, Engelhorn and Reischmann from Germany; End Clothing, Liberty and the Frasers Group from the UK; Galeries Lafayette and La Samaritaine from France; as well as Helmut Eder and Reyer from Austria.