Rich in events, encounters, visitors and exhibitors, this 97th edition of Pitti Uomo saw a new man emerging, in touch with his sensitivity, gentle side and fragility.
Designers had gender in mind, trying to find innovative ways to dress men and change our vision of their bodies. What the guest designers’ runway shows truly underlined -namely Jil Sander, Telfar and Random Identities by Stefano Pilati- is that men are now willing to forgo the travesty of gender codes to embrace their own contradictions instead.
The violence and disruption surrounding us did not appear on the Florence runways, as if they had been magically removed from ongoing chaos. Focusing on outerwear, cozy tailoring and protective layers, Luke and Lucie Meyer referred to religion, purity and asceticism, with clothes evoking a desire for ease and simplicity. The Jil Sander man was on a spiritual quest, and despite the long road ahead of him, he seemed ready and willing to embark on a journey of self-discovery. The soft pastels and make-up tones of the collection also alluded to a feminine world, and the Meiers felt confident enough to let their models carry prim leather handbags on their shoulder.
More sensual and provocative, the Telfar man knows his assets and is not worried of showing them off. He enjoys being desired and exposing parts of his body in unexpected ways. In a press preview, Telfar Clemens explained that the roots of his work lie in womenswear, and the designer blurred gender lines beautifully within his line-up. With influences as diverse as bikers, Renaissance costumes and 1970s flares, his show was one of Pitti’s highlights. Complete with live music and dance performance, it also had an emotional strength and power that touched the audience, making it clear that the American brand is having a moment of its own. Stefano Pilati closed his own show at Stazione Leopolda and his collection felt like a personal statement throughout, with strong tailoring that he kept subverting with platform heels and fetish-inspired accessories. It’s funny to think how different his men were from the ones walking along the Fortezza each day, hanging out in groups and getting their picture taken. With more than 1200 exhibitors for whom research, innovation and craft were key, this idea of a timeless, sharply elegant man seemed almost at odds with what the shows delivered in Florence, which was a much more ambiguous and ambivalent idea of manhood. In times of social, political and economic turmoil, there will always be the daring ones experimenting while others find reassuring representations to hang on to. What kind of men did the 21400 buyers coming to Pitti Uomo imagine for this new decade? We’ll have to wait 6 months to figure it all out.
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/ Words by Philippe Pourhashemi /
