Written by Lucas Pantoja
Now upon my third and final day of exploring Pitti Uomo 95, I kicked it off by cutting breakfast; immediately heading to the grounds of the trade show. For my last day, I decided to dedicate it solely to discovering new brands and the faces behind them. The first booth which I came in contact belonged to Huge Underground Business inside the ‘Unconventional’ section of the fiera: the sector dedicated to brands with a primarily more street and sporty leaning aesthetic.
While at the HBD booth I met with the two brains behind the project, Jamila and Alessandro who gave me the rundown on HBD: To create a family for fans of the brand, both mixing innovative and vintage fashion qualities.
I then noticed hanging on their racks exactly what they meant, with an extraterrestrial-like metallic parka on one and a sherpa coat reminiscent of the kind of vintage you might find at flea market in the States. I thanked those at the HBD booth and continued exploring the rest of the ‘Unconventional’ brands, eventually stopping to get to know Swedish up and comers Limitato.
After walking around and studying the many fine velvet jackets, funky loose button ups, and advanced graphic tees without any previous knowledge of the brand, I chatted with the founder Gustav Petersen. Gustav explained how the brand’s whole identity is based around the idea of wearable art and how the art featured belongs to the artists whom he works with and discovers on his travels around the world.
Beyond the stylish prints and graphics the brand has to offer, the quality of the materials also spoke to me; not mention their complimenting assortment of tees and blazers, a fine combination for guys who lay in the area of neither dressing up or down at the same time. Next I made my way over to the sector titled ‘Touch’ home to many of the finest knitwear, reconstruction, and Japanese indigo dyeing brands at the trade show. The first brand to catch my eye was Atelier and Repairs — The first thing their founder Maurizio Durati informed me of, was that they’re not actually a brand but an initiative. With a huge focus on sustainability, every product of theirs is composed of rebuilt vintage garments, from kimonos and Levi’s jeans, to dusty champion sweaters; giving new life to the since forgotten gems.
Secondly, I found myself caught in the trance of notable Japanese pant specialists: The Chino Revived. A Tokyo based brand that takes pride in their artisanally crafted trousers, from all of the aspects of their selvedge banding, indigo dyeing, and custom zippers.
As I headed out of the building I stopped at one last notable booth — that of blazer masters, Sunhouse. With vibracious patterns and intricate detailing, the garments were reminiscent of classic Italian technical experts Missoni. Which ironically is the only other brand with the ability to replicate their complex threading according to designer Franco Santarini.
Before ending my final day at the wild menswear Disneyland that is Pitti Uomo, I was introduced to the ‘Slow fashion’ leather and bag professionals at BennyBee, receiving an education on their products by art and marketing director, Mariana.
With an utmost attention to quality the brand hand-makes all of their products in Slovakia; all bags composed of natural leathers, vegetable dyed, and coated in a beeswax finish, made to last a lifetime. All unisex in the simplicity of their designs, the quality and care spoke louder than the logo.
Like that, Pitti Uomo 95 was over for me and as I found myself sitting on a train back to Milan, tired but satisfied I realized; Although nobody truly knows where men’s fashion is headed at the moment, as long as the brands like those I’ve found at Pitti Uomo are continuously given the chance to be discovered — there’ll always be hope for fashion to move in the direction I’m pushing for, even if that time isn’t now.
The Fashion Plate Magazine 
Hey! Leave a comment!