The Fall/Winter 2026 menswear season kicks off today in Florence, with men’s trade show Pitti Uomo, before we head north for Milan Fashion Week Men’s. With some exciting guest designers, an influx of international talent, and some returning big names, there’s plenty in store this season.
“Florence and Milan continue to confirm themselves as central cities for creative fashion and menswear, places where identity, experimentation and industry engage in constant dialogue,”says Carlo Capasa, president of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI). “Menswear is a sector of great importance for the Italian fashion system, and, within the context of the broader challenges facing the industry, it is showing signs of greater resilience. This does not yet represent a full recovery, but rather a softening of the contraction and a relatively more solid export performance compared to other segments.”
Here are the season’s brands, shows and events to note.
Pitti Uomo
Pitti Uomo returns for its 109th edition from January 13 to 16, bringing together over 750 brands from across the world. The fair’s theme this season is “motion”, to reflect how menswear is constantly in flux, intersecting with everything from performance to travel to everyday life.
Paris-based designer Hed Mayner will take one of three guest designer slots this season, bringing his architectural silhouettes to Florence for the first time. Mayner, who launched his eponymous brand in 2015, debuted on the Paris Fashion Week Men’s schedule in 2017, before winning the Karl Lagerfeld Award at the 2019 LVMH Prize. Previous guest designers include Martine Rose and Raf Simons.
“Hed never ceases to surprise us with the delicate balance he achieves in every piece, without any apparent effort, through contrasts: poetry and comfort, freedom and precision, intellect and craftsmanship,” Francesca Tacconi, special events coordinator of the fair’s parent company Pitti Immagine, said in a statement. “For all these reasons and more, we can’t wait to welcome Hed Mayner to Pitti Uomo this January and discover the project he is creating for his Florentine debut.”
Gradually, Pitti Uomo has expanded its exhibitor lineup to welcome design talent from outside Europe, especially Japan. LVMH Prize 2023 winner Setchu’s Satoshi Kuwata made his runway debut at Pitti in January 2025, while Issey Miyake staged an impressive show at last summer’s fair, in Villa Medicea della Petraia. However, this season, there’s an influx of emerging Japanese talent.
Soshiotsuki SS26 MenswearPhoto: Courtesy of Soshiotsuki
The remaining two guest designer slots will go to poetic Japanese menswear designer Shinyakozuka and LVMH Prize 2025 winner Soshiotsuki. Launched in 2015, the former is a sizable business with around 50 stockists in Japan and 20 globally; Wednesday evening will mark its first outing in Europe, after a decade showing in Tokyo. Then, Soshiotsuki, known for his East-meets-West tailoring, will show at 3pm on Thursday. This Pitti show will be the next step in the designer’s mission to scale further in the West, after inking a strategic deal with brand incubator Tomorrow last November and a major Zara collaboration at the end of last year.