- Workwear brand Visvim’s SS17 fashion show is dedicated to the theme of love.

- Italian designer Lucio Vanotti’s SS17 collection showcases simple silhouettes with vibrant colours.

- Famous Italian blogger Fabio Attanasio is a frequent visitor of Pitti Uomo.

- Dior former creative director Raf Simons returns to Pitti Uomo and brings his SS17 collection inspired by American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe’s works.

9.20 am

Third cappuccino of the morning, on the rooftop of my (second) hotel located just over the Ponte Vecchio. The sun is shy but the view is stunning.

10.00 am

First show of the day, Visvim. On the invitation, we discover a carp (koi in Japanese). Koi fish is a very important creature in Japanese folklore. The carp symbolises good fortune, success, prosperity and even courage all over Asia.

This particular white and red patter koi is often referred to as the “Kuchibeni koi” (lipstick carp). Kuchibeni koi represents love and long-lasting relationships.

10.10 am

A few minutes’ walk away, Visvim fashion show was located at the beautiful and most famous Italian gardens, the Boboli Gardens.

10.20 am

Founded in 2001 by Japanese designer Hiroki Nakamura, the workwear brand showcases its SS 2017 collection. Nakamura is also passionate about ‘Ametora’ (Japanese slang for “American traditional”). The designer brought Oldsmobile cars and Indian vintage motorcycles from California.

10.25 am

The aesthetic of the brand is closely tied to the Japanese designer’s personal vision, mixing native American crafts, traditional Japanese garments or again vintage American workwear.

10.30 am

During Visvim’s SS 2017 show, we discover both menswear and womenswear created in collaboration with the designer’s wife Kelsy Nakamura.

10.40 am

The vibe of the show was amazing. It’s also quite rare to see such great energy from the fashion crowd. It was largely due to senior citizens dancing passionately.

10.45 am

Under an auspicious star, designers Hiroki and Kelsy Nakamura celebrated their love and long-lasting relationship with their first ever womenswear and menswear catwalk.  

11.10 am

Quick snap of Battistero di San Giovanni (Baptistery of St. John) and Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore), the main church of Florence.

12.00 am

Italian designer Lucio Vanotti’s SS 17 collection, entitled “Adagio, Allegro, Andante” (quick, walking pace, slow)” corresponds to common tempo markings.

12.10 am

Lucio Vanotti’s SS 17 collection showcases amazing minimalist styles with a beautiful colour palette for both women and men.

1.30 pm

Today is the busiest day of Pitti Uomo 90. It’s impossible to ignore the ‘swarming’ of all these gentlemen in suits. Outside the fair, men in colorful suits are starting to be less keen with the scorching sun. Inside, under the cool air conditioning, business between brands and retailers is going strong.

2.40 pm

Fabio Attanasio, founder of the most famous Italian blog called “The Bespoke Dudes”, is a popular face at Pitti Uomo. Attanasio is a soft-spoken Italian blogger with a degree from Law School. He passionately writes about classic Italian style and craftsmanship. More important than that, the young entrepreneur started his own collection of handmade glasses ‘The Bespoke Dudes Eyewear’, a collaboration with Velesca for loafer shoes made in Milano, and curated a collection of high-quality suits handcrafted in Naples’  Edesim Selection.

4.00 pm

An important novelty of the fashion event is the live media streaming of journalists and retailers. Here in the picture, we have reporters for Nanzhuang T-Mall (天猫男装) asking the crowd questions.

5.45 pm

Just out of a business meeting, we spotted the two co-founders of The Armoury, Mark Cho (right) and Alan See (centre) plus Jeffrey Hillard (left) of The Armoury NY. The Hong Kong and New York stores specialize in classic menswear and tailored clothing. The haberdashery offers a wide range of brands, from Japanese ready-to-wear suit brand ‘Ring Jacket’, English made ties ‘Drakes’ to Spanish leather shoes ‘Carmina’. They also organise trunk shows to display the amazing skills of various artisans, such as Florentine bespoke tailor Liverano & Liverano, Neapolitan bespoke trousermaker Salvatore Ambrosi and beautiful coats from the Japanese label Coherence.

8.30 pm

The biggest event of Pitti Uomo 90 was the return of former Dior creative director Raf Simons. The Belgian fashion designer showcases his SS 2017 collection inspired by controversial subject matter of the pictures of American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.

8.40 pm

Celebrating 20 years of menswear, the “Florence Calling: Raf Simons” event takes place at the Stazione Leopolda, the oldest train station in the city. Visitors are greeted by female mannequins wearing old collections from Raf Simons with a great soundtrack created by Michel Gaubert.

9.00 pm

The show unveils Mapplethorpe’s pictures printed on various garments such as oversized shirts. The quality of the prints is impressive.

9.20 PM

A beaming Raf Simons takes his bow wearing a paint-splattered shirt from the ‘Raf Simons Sterling Ruby’ collection.