Pitti Uomo 109 Takes the Stage: Transformation Leads with Hed Mayner and Soshi Otsuki

Florence will once again set the pulse of men’s fashion. From January 13th to 16th, 2026, the Fortezza da Basso will host the 109th edition of Pitti Uomo, which will open the international calendar with the theme Fashion in Motion, a reflection on movement as an engine of change, transformation and emotion.

“Everything is movement, transformation, history, progress,“ explains the organization about the concept that will backbone the Pitti Immagine winter fairs. This edition’s motto sums up the dynamic nature of fashion, as well as its ability to move forward, question and reinvent itself endlessly.

The creative project for the campaign was directed by Chris Vidal and Tuomas Laitinen, editor-in-chief and fashion director of Finnish magazine Ssaw, whose black-and-white images capture the energy and fluidity of gesture, in a nod to cinema and the original Greek idea of kinēma. In styling, Soshi Otsuki’s garments reinforce the visual message of movement as living matter.

The fair will feature two exceptional protagonists. On the one hand, Hed Mayner, Israeli designer based in Paris, where he regularly parades, will present a special fashion show in Florence. His work, characterized by the balance between structure and fluidity, turns the body into architecture and tailoring into a sculptural language. “To create is to think with your hands,“ said the creator, who received the Karl Lagerfeld Prize from LVMH in 2019 and produces his collections in Italy.

Pitti Uomo will feature Hed Mayner and Soshi Otsuk as guest designers

On the other hand, Soshi Otsuki, winner of the LVMH Prize 2025, will debut at Pitti Uomo with a proposal that unites Japanese heritage and modern sensibility. Born in Chiba in 1990 and trained at Bunka Fashion College, the Japanese designer founded his brand Soshiotsuki in 2015, inspired by traditional Japanese performing arts and precision craftsmanship.

“In Soshi’s work we perceive an ambitious clarity, a dialogue between tradition and modernity filtered through contemporary tailoring,“ said Francesca Tacconi, head of special events at Pitti Immagine. “It’s a Made in Japan concept reinterpreted from a Made in Italy perspective,“ she added.

Otsuki, who unsuccessfully competed in an Italian competition a decade ago, now returns to Florence with a story that closes a personal cycle. “At the time I thought the Japanese spirit did not fit under the Italian sky, now I am honored to be able to present my collection here,“ said the designer.

The new chapter of Pitti Uomo comes after a last edition with positive sensations. In June 2025, Pitti Uomo 108 brought together more than 11,400 buyers from a hundred countries and exceeded 15,000 visitors. The event consolidated its role as a meeting point for business and creativity in international menswear.

“The courage and responsibility of our exhibitors lead the way,“ stressed Antonio De Matteis, president of Pitti Immagine at the time, while CEO Raffaello Napoleone defined the fair as “a concrete tool for business development even in periods of transition.“

With 740 exhibitors and more than 130 side events, the June edition boosted international collaborations with projects such as Code Korea, JQuality Japan, Scandinavian Manifesto and China Wave, in addition to hosting the Homme Plissé Issey Miyake, Post Archive Faction and Niccolò Pasqualetti fashion shows.