About 1230 brands participated in the 95th Pitti Uomo men's fashion show - so many quality items from all over the world can easily make your head spin.
There were fantastic short coats from Danton, a French workwear brand reborn by a Japanese investor, and waxed jackets from Barbour reimagined by Engineered Garments' Daiki Suzuki, downright stunning sportswear from Descente, and much more. All these impeccable things (which, by the way, are cheaper than a pair of Balenciaga sneakers) simultaneously aroused in me a sense of pride - for the ability of people to create such beauty and at the same time bewilderment - from the realization that I too rarely see such things on the streets (except, perhaps, Tokyo).
I gravitate towards Japan especially - this is the last country in the world where clothes are still not only well sewn, but also well thought out (unlike the rest of the world, people here still remember what design is). Therefore, I was looking forward to the appearance of two Japanese projects announced in the Pitti program - White Leather and the winners of the Tokyo Fashion Award.
Midorikawa Ryo Boots, Japanese White Leather Project © pittimmagine.com
Japanese "white leather" is a special, hand-treated and chemical-free leather that does not require additional coloring. But in reality, it is not so white - rather, the color of ivory. To tell the truth, the clothes made by young Japanese designers left me with a lot of questions, as did the mentioned Tokyo Fashion Award winners (with the exception of Nobuyuki Matsui).
Koichi Watanabe, one of six Tokyo Fashion Award winners © pittimmagine.com
But the Koreans at Pitti were quite convincing. The collection of the South Korean brand Beyond Closet looked beautiful, lively and energetic. It was called NAVY and it was a combination of casual cut and clever color combinations. There was some influence of the Sacai brand, but it did not spoil the impression in the least.
1 of 9 Show Beyond Closet © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com
The situation with the guest designer Pitti Uomo Y / Project was a little more complicated. This is a brand that I have never been able to understand since its founder, Johan Serfati, tragically passed away. Investors who backed Y / Project after Serfati's death hired Glenn Martens, who turned the company into another ugly chic supplier with a Vetements nod. The collection consisted of things of strange proportions, the most unpresentable shade of blue, corduroy was used, which seemed to be on sale, and boots could be safely included in the Guinness Book of Records as the most unattractive in the world. In defense of Martens, I will say that with all questions to him, he, unlike many, remains in the literal sense of the word a designer - he designs truly complex and thoughtful clothes. But what he thinks about when he creates herremains a mystery to me.
1 of 13 Show Y / Project © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine. com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com
Two more shows need to be mentioned. One of them is the show of the New York brand Haculla. John Kuhn, the designer of the brand, tried to adhere to the punk aesthetic in the work on the collection. Although what idea of punk can a boy, who grew up in an expensive loft in Williamsburg, New York, whose rich dad did not deny him anything, and who formed his idea of fashion from old photos of famous clubs CBGB's and Max's Kansas City? The Haculla show seemed superficial and unreal to me, as I generally see New York in general today. But the music made me happy - I don't know whose idea it was, but honor and praise to the one who knows the cult band of the 70s Suicide.
1 of 11 Show Haculla © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com
In another show, held at Leopolda Station, designer Aldo Maria Camillo again raised the question of where the border between casual and fashionable clothes lies. Camillo did a great job - especially the white moleskin coat with high vents. Marketing clichés that had set the teeth on edge immediately began to stick to the collection - "modern cut", "classic, but not trivial things", "elegance in a new interpretation." After what I saw, like other editors, there was only one question left: why was it necessary to show all these beautifully executed, but generally neutral in terms of design, things on the podium, and not in the pavilion.
1 of 13 Show Aldo Maria Camillo © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine. com © pittimmagine.com © pittimmagine.com
In general, the Pitti Uomo exhibition has once again proved that it keeps its finger on the pulse of men's fashion. Here again the product and its quality reign supreme, not the boring stories and lengthy concepts. After all, good clothes are already a story and a concept in themselves, and I want to believe that the public will pay more attention to those who are doing something truly honest today. Because quality is valuable in itself, and top-notch performance is more important than the marketing buzz around them.>