Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger Book Pitti Uomo as Exhibitor List Hits 700

Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger will both exhibit at Pitti Uomo's 111th edition, running Jan. 12 to 15 in Florence, pushing the confirmed exhibitor count past 700 as of this week.

The two PVH Corp. brands anchor a U.S. contingent of 25 exhibitors. Calvin Klein is making its official debut at the fairgrounds. It will take over the Sala delle Colonne venue and show the denim portion of its fall 2027 collection. The brand has history in Florence but not on the fair floor. It hosted an off-fair event in the city in 2006 and never showed inside the Fortezza da Basso.

Tommy Hilfiger, also owned by PVH, returns after appearances in 2017 and 2025. For its third turn as an exhibitor, it will present at the Sala Ottagonale and Cortile delle Monumentali venues. Gant, Rag & Bone and Original Penguin round out the returning American brands.

What do the application numbers signal?

Organizers report a 28 percent increase in brands applying to exhibit. About 44 percent of exhibitors come from abroad. Applications, however, are not confirmations. The 700-plus figure is solid; the demand metric is a softer indicator.

Pitti Immagine CEO Ivano Cauli framed the momentum against a hard backdrop. "Our exhibitors are showing real dynamism and finding ways to navigate the market," he said. "We want Pitti to be more than a menswear fair: it should also be a place to listen, network and work together."

He cited positive performance for Italian men's fashion in the first half. Confindustria Moda's data partly supports that. Italian menswear exports rose 0.9 percent in the first seven months of 2026, to 5.4 billion euros, lifted by both European and extra-European markets.

France, the U.S. and Germany ranked as the top three importers of Made in Italy menswear last year. France grew 5.5 percent and the U.S. 3.4 percent. Germany fell 4.3 percent. China followed, up 6.7 percent year-over-year.

How do executives read the market?

Antonio De Matteis, CEO of Kiton and president of Pitti Immagine, was blunt about conditions. "The first seven months of 2026 have been extremely challenging. This is no longer a crisis; it's the new reality," he said. "As business leaders, we have to keep refining our strategies. We need to approach each market differently … while staying true to our identity."

He pointed to quality, innovation and personal relationships as differentiators. "The exhibitor numbers show that Pitti Uomo is at the heart of menswear," De Matteis said, adding that young brands are eager to take part.

Who are the guest designers?

Dunhill headlines the roster of three guest designers. The British sartorial brand will unveil its fall 2027 collection at 5 p.m. CET on Jan. 14 at the Palazzo Corsini on the Arno River.

Kartik Research, the New Delhi label founded by Kartik Kumra in 2021, presents at the Marino Marini Museum on Jan. 13, in a format still undisclosed. Outerwear brand Raxxy, founded by William Shen, will install a fairground showcase of down jackets bridging fashion, mathematics and sculpture.

Footwear designer Martin Sallières also debuts, though not as a guest designer. The Design Academy Eindhoven graduate, informed by automotive design plus chemistry and physics studies, launched his namesake label in 2025 and already stocks at Dover Street Market London.

What else is on the floor?

The fair keeps its five sections: Fantastic Classic, Futuro Maschile, Dynamic Attitude, Superstyling and I Go Out. Vanish magazine again curates the outdoor and activewear section. The HiBeauty fragrance space, launched last January, returns.

Institutional collaborations continue:

• Code Korea, in its fourth edition
• China Wave
• Promas for French labels and ICEX for Spanish labels
• J Quality and J Leather for Japanese ready-to-wear and leather accessories

The "A New Wardrobe" curated section of niche global brands takes the attic floor of the main pavilion. Its brand roster is unreleased.

Pitti Uomo also links with Japanese retailer Beams for "Expedition Club," curated by Shigeru Kaneko, chief buyer of Beams Plus. The show, previously staged in London and Tokyo, draws on Kaneko's "Outdoor Expedition Book 99" and vintage outerwear from his personal collection, plus catalogues from Utah State University's Outdoor Recreation Archive. WP Lavori in Corso owner Cristina Calori and creative director Andrea Canè contributed.

Edward Buchanan's labyrinth installation, "The Thread as the Labyrinth," will greet visitors at the entrance, teasing the 50th anniversary of the Pitti Filati textile fair, set for Jan. 20 to 22. Its centerpiece, "The Sweater as the Portrait," will assemble 50 sweaters marking pivotal fashion moments of the past five decades.

Whether the 28 percent application surge converts into January orders, or merely into traffic, will be the metric buyers and exhibitors watch when the fair opens under its "Pitti Goes Wild" theme.