This blog post recaps the recent Pitti Uomo fashion event in Florence, Italy, highlighting its continued dominance in the men's fashion cycle. Harris Tweed's strong presence alongside both established and niche brands. Looking beyond trends, the post explores key "sentiments" like the rise of performance heritage outerwear, winter suiting's comeback, and the growing importance of accessories. 

Pitti Uomo: A Fashion Powerhouse Sets the Stage

Pitti Uomo in the majestic city of Florence continues as the dominant force for the men's fashion cycle with buyers and press from around the world attending the four-day event. Harris Tweed were well represented from established brands like Hardy Amies and Barracuta through niche brands like Art Comes First and Felton. These brands all utilize Harris Tweed fabric in unique and innovative ways, demonstrating the versatility of this timeless material.

London Collections which went from the 6th - 8th is gaining ground but with 200 buyers compared with the 2000 at Pitti, the later reigns supreme. With some of the big catwalk-based fashion weeks beginning to look tired, there is even talk of the bigger fashion houses showing here next year.

Trends for Shaping the Future

Instead of fleeting trends, here are some key "sentiments" to watch out for:

•  Performance heritage outerwear. Brands like Moncler and Canada Goose looking for heritage fabric but with additional finishes. It is also increasingly common to have jackets with different fabrics on panels or sleeves. Fashion fabrics are constantly evolving, and this trend exemplifies how classic materials like Harris Tweed can be adapted to meet modern performance needs.
• Winter Suiting. Corlenianni, Brunello Cucinelli and the Ludlow suit by J Crew are leading a resurgence in the winter suit. Could see a piece on the Valentino catwalk in Paris next week.
• Accessories. We are all becoming a little more French. Get the basics right and highlight with great shoes/scarfs/belts and gloves. Check out the Harris Tweed collab with Dents and scarfs by Drakes.

Collaboration is Key: Big Brands Embrace Small Design Teams

Potentially the biggest change on the fashion side of the industry is that large companies seem a lot more open to collaboration with small esoteric design teams. This is more than a little pragmatic as it is these designers that have the biggest and most influential social media following. Look out for I Owe You, Art Comes First & Hancock.

 ‘There is no future unless you have a true story’ see below