MILAN — Unveiling the full roster of events and activations for the upcoming winter edition of Pitti Uomo, scheduled for Jan. 13 to 16, organizers said Wednesday during a press conference here that Japanese brand Shinyakozuka will be the fair’s third guest designer.
Born in Osaka and currently based in Tokyo, designer Shinya Kozuka — who established his brand in 2015 — will unveil his fall 2026 collection with a presentation event on a still undisclosed date at the menswear trade fair as its “Special Event” project.
The Central Saint Martins graduate will headline the edition alongside Hed Mayner, who will host a runway show on Jan. 14, and the 2025 winner of the LVMH Prize for Young Designers Soshiotsuki by Soshi Otsuki, who will wrap up the fair with a show on Jan. 15. Soshiotsuki recently inked a deal with the London-based showroom and incubator Tomorrow.
Shinyakozuka’s designer Shinya Kozuka.
Courtesy of Shinyakozuka
Pitti Uomo’s January event, titled “Motion,” marks the fair’s 109th edition, which “testifies how this trade show continues to sit at the heart of the menswear business, globally,” according to Pitti Immagine president Antonio De Matteis, who’s also chief executive officer of Kiton.
“Despite the geopolitical and economic complexities on a global scale, the fair continues to attract buyers and exhibitors…because it’s been able to reflect and interpret change, challenging itself to adapt to evolution,” he said.
According to figures provided by Confindustrisa Moda, exports of Italian menswear fell 3.2 percent in the first seven months of the year to 5.3 billion euros, dented by a negative performance in markets outside Europe with a decline of 7.8 percent. Exports were up 2.4 percent toward European countries. Overall, France, the U.S. and Germany were the three top Made in Italy importing countries in the January to July period, the research note said.
As of this week, about 730 to 740 exhibitors are confirmed for the January edition of Pitti Uomo, 44 percent of which are international. Among them, Asics is a newcomer, joining the fair to unveil its “Walking” project of formal sneakers, while returning brands include the BasicNet-owned Sebago; the labels in the orbit of WP Iavori in Corso, such as Baracuta, Barbour and Blundstone, among others; sustainable outerwear company Save the Duck; Roy Roger’s, which is to unveil a collaboration with Kappa on denim-looking skiwear, as well as Guess Jeans and Guess Man.
The fair will be organized around the usual five sections, such as Fantastic Classic, Futuro Maschile, Dynamic Attitude, I Go Out and Superstyling,.
A new space called HiBeauty will be dedicated to fragrances, a reflection of the growing intersection in stores between the category and fashion. It will feature about 10 niche, up-and-coming names including based in Europe and Asia. The trade show’s organizer said the project stems from its expertise in the fragrance world with its banner Pitti Fragranze fair.
Pitti Uomo also confirmed its collaborations with key institutional fashion associations globally to reprise its sections Scandinavian Manifesto; Code Korea; China Wave; J Quality, and Japan Leather Showroom for Japanese ready-to-wear and leather accessories brands, respectively, as well as the Promas and ICEX areas, dedicated to French and Spanish labels, respectively.
Among the off-fair events, textile specialist Vitale Barberis Canonico will cohost the first Sebiro Sampo event in Europe. Organized by a slew of leading Japanese menswear companies, the event — now in its seventh iteration — is a city stroll-cum-impromptu-runway show of men decked out in full sartorial looks that has already taken place in Tokyo, Osaka and Seoul, among other cities.
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