-By Ankita Dutta.
Italy is taking center stage for the week with the hosting of men’s shows from June 13th. Pitti Uomo will be the first to kick off the show for the spring-summer 2024 collections in Florence until June 16th, followed by Milan Fashion Week until June 20th and then Paris. This season’s catwalk calendar will exclude big names such as Versace, Gucci, Moschino, and Missoni; nonetheless, it remains filled with highlights and new discoveries, including major comebacks, new names, and labels.
Fendi is one of the headliners leaving Milan behind for a special show in Tuscany on June 15th. A special guest at Pitti Uomo, the Italian label owned by LVMH is unveiling the new collection designed by Silvia Venturini Fendi at its recently inaugurated leather goods factory, Fendi Factory. On the other hand, Chu Suwannapha, a Thai designer, is expected to present a special installation on June 14th.
The Florentine show’s 104th edition will also have new projects and special events with 43% of 825 exhibitors coming abroad, alongside the 50th anniversaries of Arena, Doucal’s shoes, and Fila‘s F Box logo. There will be a 15th anniversary of Giuseppe Zanotti‘s men’s collection, the return of German brand Drykorn, and the first-ever participation of Florentine tailor Liverano & Liverano. Parallel events such as the anticipated “Runways Icons” group show, organized on June 14th by Florentine fashion chain LuisaViaRoma and British Vogue with Edward Enninful, will showcase the looks of approximately fifty luxury labels with around 2,000 guests expected to attend.
Valentino will play the starring role in Milan Fashion Week on Friday, June 16th, marking its return to the Lombardy capital. Other than the two shows organized exceptionally in Milan for the pandemic, Valentino has not shown its men’s collections in Lombardy since 2012. This season, Milan Fashion Week has a reduced format with 22 shows, spread over two full days and two half-days, plus five shows in a digital format broadcast on the closing morning, Tuesday, June 20th. A total of 72 events are scheduled, with shows, presentations, and special events compared to 79 in January.
Neil Barrett, a British/Milanese designer, deserted the catwalks since the Covid-19 crisis but is now returning to it on June 17th, opting instead for video presentations. 44 Label Group, a brand launched by Berlin techno DJ Max Kobosil under the aegis of entrepreneur Claudio Antonioli, is also making a comeback on June 18th. Ralph Lauren Purple Label line will be making a return to the presentation calendar on June 16th.
Among the new arrivals, Andersson Bell, a brand founded in 2014 in Seoul and designed by DoHun Kim, which fuses Korean street style with Scandinavian minimalism, will make its debut on the Milan catwalks on June 18th.
