Sign up to receive the Vogue Business newsletter for the latest luxury news and insights, plus exclusive membership discounts.
“When I first showed in Florence for Pitti back in 1993, fashion shows were nothing like they are today. I can’t wait to go back to a more simple way of doing things.” So says Paul Smith, who today announces that he will return to the Florence trade fair this June to present his mainline collection for Spring/Summer 2025.
The veteran independent British designer, who launched his company from a nine-square-metres shop in Nottingham back in 1970, will present the collection on 11 June — Pitti’s opening day. Exact details of the format for his showcase have yet to be finalised. “I plan to do something more intimate and personal than the very elaborate shows that seem to have become the norm,” he offers.
Smith spends his summers cycling and designing at his house near Lucca, and is no stranger to the Tuscan capital or its famous menswear trade fair. He says: “One of the many brilliant things about Pitti Uomo is that it is seen as the top trade show in the whole world. So many of the merchants and buyers from all corners of the globe, from the big department stores to the independent boutiques, they all go to Florence to find shoes from that company and a polo from that designer. And the representation of tailoring is second to none.”
Smith’s first show at Pitti back in 1993 was, of course, mostly tailored. Archival photos reveal a collection that was cut slim, with high-notch collars and the occasional, rather effective experiment in topstitching. Smith suggests that his second mainline collection to be shown in the city will be less committed to the suit and tie. “Paul Smith tailoring is not just classic two-button suits but also workwear-inspired tailoring, tailored separates offered in cotton, linen, the obvious lightweight wools and so much more too,” he says. “Pitti is just the right place for us to be and it’s just the right time to be there.”
The designer’s only other cameo at Pitti came in 2017, during the fair’s 91st run, when presenting his PS by Paul Smith line. Smith told Vogue Business before his most recent Paris Fashion Week show that, “The thing that is completely underrated in fashion is continuity. How many brands, restaurants, rockstars have you seen [fold]?” Smith has his name above 90 stores across the world, with 44 under direct operation; at wholesale, he has around 2,000 points of sale in 60 nations.
January’s edition of Pitti will be its 106th, and runs from 11 June to 14 June. Marine Serre is also slated to show as guest designer in what will be her Florentine debut. Those fortunate enough to attend will then reluctantly leave the unhurried beauties of Florence in order to face the season’s most intensely packed schedule in Milan.
Comments, questions or feedback? Email us at feedback@voguebusiness.com.
