Lohi Telegram / The Peacocks of Florence
Today is the last day of Pitti Uomo, one of the world's most important menswear events
Despite the heat (temperatures in Florence in June can easily be above 30 degrees), the two men both wore three-piece suits as they slowly made their way down the street, each smoking a cigar. As they passed a restaurant, an older Italian man, dressed in cargo shorts and a worn-out T-shirt, turned to his friend and whispered something in his ear. The man, wearing something similar to his friend’s outfit, turned around and looked, their faces an impression of astonishment and surprise.
Each year, for a week in the middle of June, the streets of Florence are filled with “male peacocks”. The fashion fair Pitti Uomo, this week arranged for the 108th time, is still considered one of the main events in menswear; despite not quite having reclaimed the position it had before the pandemic.
This is a reminder that it’s not only abut where you travel, but also when.
Almost all travel guides have advised tourists not to go to Rome this year, to avoid the influx of catholics coming to celebrate the Jubilee.
If you’re visiting Stockholm today, you’ll find most places, including restaurants, closed as it’s Midsummer’s Eve and the city deserted – most Swedes celebrate by going to the countryside.
And if you want to look at well-dressed men, twice a year, it’s a good idea to head to Florence to see experience Pitti Uomo.
The formal area of the fair is the Fortezza da Basso, where hundreds of fashion brands have exhibited their new collections in the past week, hoping to catch the attention of buyers and media. But all around the city, palaces, former train stations, restaurants, and bars are used for fashion shows, parties, and business meetings.
Approximately fifteen years ago, it was common among the people working the fair to take a smoke break. They would line up along a wall where there was some shade, have a cigarette and unwind. This caught the attention of the Sartorialist, the most influential streetstyle photographer of that time. His images were seen around the world, and ever since, Pitti Uomo is associated with a particular style. Today, you won’t find people working for the brands lined up along the wall, but men and women hoping to be discovered by a photographer, posing for hours waiting for someone to come along and be impressed.
In recent years, Sina Villa Medici has turned into an unofficial gathering place, the hotel’s kidney-shaped pool an alluring place for those looking to cool down. Once, Harry’s Bar was the place to go in Florence, but unfortunately, due to a financial dispute, they are now closed. Thankfully, their filial, The Garden, is still open at the Sina Villa Medici.
Other typical water holes during the fair are Finnegan Irish Pub (!) and Caffè Gilli, the latter a Florentine institution, which opened its doors in 1733 and thus is the city’s oldest café (when it was first established, the city was still governed by the Medicis).
The sartorial practice mainly associated with Pitti Uomo is based in a very traditional menswear – suits, shirt, hat – but done in a personal way, preferably with an eccentric twist. It has often been the source of ridicule, the men considered to appear over the top and too theatrical (as often is the case when men pay attention to their appearance), but personally I like that they put in the effort, even when just going for an aperitivo or taking a walk.
Even though the fashion sense of its visitors is well known, Pitti Uomo is above all else an event for the fashion business. This is where you’ll first see the new trends (slim pants and neckties, if you were wondering) and also get an idea of what is happening on a macro-economic level. This year, Korean fashion brands had their own event, Code Korea, and an entire building was dedicated to select Chinese brands, while the exhibition and fashion show of Issey Miyake’s Homme Plissé was this week’s main attraction.
A few years ago, in Shanghai, a man once said to me, “Europe is resting on its laurels, you Europeans are all like retired citizens mainly wanting to play golf. Asia will use your laziness to become world-leading, both financially and culturally.” Since then, South Korea has become the world’s centre of pop culture (while the US is doing its best to become persona non grata), and this shift is visible in Florence the summer of 2025. Focus has shifted towards Asia, where creativity and money are plentiful.
The Homme Plissé show took place in the park belonging to Villa Medicea della Petraia, one of the most lavish of the Medici villas around the city. The installation “Amid Impasto of Horizons” was showcased in the main hall, ephemeral and light, just like the clothes.
Guests took photos and films for Instagram and magazines, a now normalized transaction in creative industries, where the diffusion of images on social media is a way to say “thank you for having me”. Leaving the exhibition, we walked out to the main terrace, where young waiters, all dressed in Homme Plissé, served us cocktails and canapés, until a bell declared that it was time for us to take our seats in the park below.
A fashion event is a very peculiar thing. For months, designers, stylists, and scenographers have been working with the collection and its creative presentation. When the guests arrive, all this work will be showcased for approximately fifteen minutes, and then everyone is on their way to the next show, dinner party, or meeting.
We witnessed the show, flawlessly executed and with a soundtrack inspired by garden sprinklers (because, why not), the models all young and thin and beautiful, and as soon as it was over, we all rushed back to the navettas waiting to take us back to the city.
Today is the last day of Pitti Uomo (for this time).
The peacocks will fly back home, where they will have to remain for another six months, until the next fair beckons them back to Florence.