Ann Demeulemeester, the special guest at Florence’s Pitti Uomo trade fair, was also cancelled. Two days ago, Pitti Immagine announced the cancellation late yesterday afternoon. They had reiterated their determination to continue with the fair despite growing covid-19 transmissions and the subsequent retractions of brands such as Brunello Cucinelli. Valentino’s Vintage project presentation, originally scheduled for 13-20 January in Milan, was moved to April.
Yesterday evening, the Italian government announced more measures to contain the pandemic as well as the record-breaking number of infections in the last few days. Yesterday, January 5, 2017, 51,587 coronavirus cases per day were reported in Italy’s Lombardy Region. This was in addition to the 214,700 swabs that were performed, which is a record since the outbreak of the pandemic.
“Pitti Immagine will open the 101st Pitti Uomo edition, which will feature 600 new men’s fashion designs to be displayed at Fortezza da Basso,” said a Pitti Immagine note. “But, the current evolution in contagions and some of the subsequent containment measures taken by the Italian government in certain cases make it impossible for one event to be held in its proper form with all its required characteristics. This is unfortunately the case for Ann Demeulemeester’s special event.
Lapo Cianchi: “We have decided to postpone this Pitti Uomo Edition to June 2022.”
Ann Demeulemeester and Claudio Antonioli, who were united by great enthusiasm, wanted to create a project that celebrated fashion, music and entertainment. It was also a celebration of people and their interactions, Lapo Cianchi, the fair’s director for communication, special events, and international relations, stated in a statement.
“Over the past few weeks, we have tried to adapt the project for the changing environment conditions, ensuring maximum safety and security for all those involved in production. But gradually, the project became unsustainable and it was impossible to keep the original spirit. Ann’s long, distinguished career, and the farewell of the promising new course, deserve the best conditions. We have therefore decided, reluctantly, to postpone the event until the next edition in Pitti Uomo, June 2022.
The pandemic’s effects
The Florentine event had six thousand visitors in June 2021. This included over 4,000 buyers. It also had a lower percentage of foreign buyers (just under 30%) The June 2019 event saw 30000 visitors and 18,500 buyers. The figures are not all the same. In June 2021, the 100th edition was held in conjunction with Pitti Bimbo.
Pitti Connect is a digital edition of the Florentine fairs. It’s a platform for networking, and a marketplace that allows you to create business opportunities and integrate with the physical fairs. This initiative allows exhibitors to be visible, activate business contacts, and receive orders.
