Italy gears up to kick off the menswear season in Florence, then Milan

As ever, Italy kicks off the AW 2026–27 menswear weeks with two unmissable fixtures for industry professionals: Pitti Uomo 109 (Florence, January 13–16) and Milano Fashion Week Uomo, scheduled for January16–20.

Under the winter theme ‘Motion’, 750 brands (47% from abroad) present their collections at the Fortezza da Basso, spread across the event’s five signature sections (Fantastic Classic, Futuro Maschile, Dynamic Attitude, Superstyling, and I Go Out). Greeting visitors at the Fortezza is ‘Ancient/New Site,’ an installation by French architect Marc Leschelier, occupying 1,700 square metres of the central piazza with 18 monoliths measuring 5 metres high, 3 metres wide, and 9 metres deep.

Among the season’s key innovations is the new HiBeauty area, dedicated to niche perfumery; drawing on Pitti Fragranze’s expertise, it hosts a selection of 10 independent brands within the Futuro Maschile section. Also debuting is a strategic partnership between Pitti Immagine and Hyperscout, aimed at bringing AI-based matchmaking and profiling tools into the fair’s ecosystem from this edition onwards.

The Florentine fair features 43 new and returning names, including Save the Duck, Berwich, Bogner, Final Draft, Gabriel Stunz, Glenover, Hestra, Hippy Realisti, Inis Meáin Ireland, Jott, Mackie, Mallet, Santha, Snow Peak, Wyeth, Bareen, Alpe Piano, and Taakk. Notably, the Franco-German designer Gabriel Stunz, fresh from Paris Fashion Week, brings his eponymous brand, founded in 2011, to Florence with a collection inspired by Manon Lescaut. WP Lavori in Corso hosts, at the Fortezza, the official launch of the Baracuta Donna collection, while Roy Roger’s and Kappa unveil a co-lab ski suit that fuses denim DNA with technical innovation. For Schneiders Salzburg, the historic Austrian loden brand with 80 years of history, Pitti Uomo marks the first step in a global relaunch, driven by its new owner, the Biella-based entrepreneur Giovanni Schneider. Japanese sports giant Asics chooses the Fortezza to present its new Asics Walking model, reinterpreting the classic shoe with a technical sole.

Significant attention is reserved for the international guest designers: Japanese designer Soshi Otsuki stages a runway event for his brand, which blends Japanese style and Made in Italy craftsmanship, while Hed Mayner presents a show with his label, defined by a conceptual, architectural approach. In addition, Tokyo-based designer Shinyakozuka, known for his meticulous focus on form and proportion, takes centre stage with work often hand-painted or hand-finished, headlining the fair’s Special Event: a runway show in collaboration with the Japan Fashion Week Organisation.

The Far East is also the focus of two further highlights: Consinee, a Chinese leader in cashmere fibres and precious yarns, presents the site-specific installation ‘Echoes of Craft’, curated by Sara Sozzani Maino alongside Georgian designer Galib Gassanoff; while Sebiro Sampo, a Made in Japan project launched by a group of six leading Japanese menswear companies, stages, in collaboration with Vitale Barberis Canonico, Europe’s first ‘walk-show’, setting off from the Fortezza da Basso and continuing through the streets of Florence’s historic centre.

Japan is also represented by the seventh edition of J∞Quality, the project dedicated to high-quality Japanese apparel curated by the Japan Apparel and Fashion Industry Association (JAFIC), and, in the Hall of Nations, by the Japan Leather Showroom initiative led by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry. For the second time, CODE Korea returns to the Fortezza with a special spotlight on contemporary creativity in fashion, design and cultural experiences from South Korea, and Nordic menswear will also be on show thanks to the Scandinavian Manifesto area, coordinated by CIFF.

Overlapping Pitti by one day, Milano Fashion Week Uomo opens the men’s catwalk season on January 16, with a total of 76 appointments: 18 physical and 7 digital fashion shows, 39 presentations, and 12 events.

The official runway calendar features Ralph Lauren, Domenico Orefice, and Victor Hart for the first time. In the digital fashion show calendar, Absent Findings, Ajabeng, Kente Gentlemen, Raimondi, State Of Chaos, and Subwae appear as new additions. Zegna and Dsquared2 return to the défilé calendar, with a show that will be followed by a party. As for the presentation schedule, there are seven new brands: Bottega Bernard, Dunhill, K-Way, Plās Collective, Moarno, Sagaboi, and Stone Island, while Ferragamo returns.

The leading names in Italian menswear are confirmed, including Brunello Cucinelli, Prada, Giorgio Armani, Corneliani, Tod’s, Brioni, Lardini, Kiton, Mordecai, and Montecore. Anniversaries being marked include Blauer’s 25th, Pronounce’s 10th, and Marcello Pipitone-Bonola’s fifth, while, in terms of events, EA7 Emporio Armani will celebrate the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games in store, and K-Way will present, with Vogue and GQ, “Montagna Milano: The Alpine Club in Town,” a three-day public event featuring panels, workshops, and après-ski experiences.

The communications campaign, produced with the City of Milan and Yes Milano, also highlights new talent and the city’s emblematic locations, developing a narrative that includes collaboration with Milano Cortina 2026. Shot by photographer Alessandro Burzigotti, the campaign features the brands Ascend Beyond, Cascinelli, Federico Cina, Gams Note, Meriisi, Moarno, Mordecai, Mtl Studio, Noskra, Setchu, and Viapiave33.

Finally, once again for this edition, the Sozzani Foundation will serve as CNMI’s space during Men’s Fashion Week, with the aim of supporting and promoting the next generation of designers. The venue will host shows by Domenico Orefice and Simon Cracker, and presentations by Bottega Bernard, Maragno, Marcello Pipitone-Bonola, Moarno, Mtl Studio, Pecoranera, and Sagaboi.