With a Blitzkrieg-like effect, The Rake descended upon Florence for Pitti Uomo 93 in full force this year. It was an amazingly hectic few days with thousands of buyers, designers, brands, journalists and photographers alike in attendance. From our perspective, Pitti is the most important event in the fashion calendar, whereby brands and artisans, no matter how established or young, are able to showcase their upcoming offerings and showcase their craft.
We were also there to celebrate. In partnership with Vitale Barberis Canonico, we launched the FlâneurCollectionat the highly impressive and grand La Loggia which overlooks the historic city and the event itself was attended by the industry’s foremost players. Using cloth from the mill’s Original Flannel collection, we produced a chalk stripe suit with OrazioLuciano, a windowpane check coat with Grenfell, and two houndstooth creations with bag makerFrank Clegg and millinery specialist Lock & Co. Hatters. All of which are available at The Rake Atelier.
Whilst toing and froing between appointments at Pitti, which takes place inside the walls of a fourteenth-century fort, we also kept a keen eye on who was wearing what and how. It should be noted that even though the ‘Pitti peacock’ has unfortunately not yet been pushed to extinction, there were some exceptionally well-layered ensembles on the ground, demonstrated by style aficionados flocking in from all over the world and thereby carrying the global flag of sartorialism. Consequently, we feel obliged to shed light on a few things we saw most.
1. Brown
Pitti made it clear that sartorialists have warmly welcomed brown hues into their wardrobes, and if we were to pick one colour that was more prevalent than others during Pitti, it was brown. Gone are the days when variations of navy and grey dominated tailoring’s horizon, and brown is no longer being eschewed by more urban-appropriate shades. It’s dramatic enough to make an elegant and refined statement, especially when paired with blue chambray and subtle pink Bengal striped shirts. It’s rich in depth and there are some lovely hues available, such as terracotta, burnt orange and bronze.
