Menswear Restarts With a Renewed Focus On Materials

Credit: Pitti Immagine

 

 

2026 opens for Italian menswear in an environment that remains challenging. Estimates from Confindustria Moda point to a year-end decline of −2.1%, with exports decreasing and imports rising, a dynamic that is reducing the sector’s trade surplus. Rather than a sudden crisis, the industry is experiencing a phase of structural slowdown, in which pressure on volumes and margins is reshaping production priorities and strategic choices.

 

Within this scenario, one figure stands out for the leather supply chain: leather apparel is the only segment of Italian menswear showing a genuine capacity to hold its ground in foreign markets. In the first nine months of 2025, exports in the segment grew by +8.4%, clearly outperforming tailored clothing, knitwear and shirting. This result confirms a trajectory already visible in previous seasons and reinforces the role of leather as a stabilising axis for the entire supply chain, highlighting how consumers have returned to valuing durable, high-quality materials.

 

This reflection is also echoed in the halls of Pitti Uomo, which increasingly positions itself as a space for discussion and experimentation around materials. Edition 109, scheduled from January 13 to 16, introduces a series of projects and curated paths that place material research at the centre, spanning leather, natural textiles and technological materials.

 

Thematic areas, installations and special projects explore the relationship between craftsmanship, technical innovation and material transformation, showing how experimentation no longer comes solely from design, but from the processes and skills upstream of the finished product. Initiatives focused on reuse, circularity and material reinterpretation further reinforce this perspective, shifting attention from aesthetic outcomes to production journeys.

 

Completing the picture, the figures for Pitti Uomo 109 confirm the fair’s central role in the international menswear landscape. The show brings together around 750 brands, with international exhibitors accounting for approximately 45%, underscoring its strong global outlook. Key figures of this edition include Guest Designer Hed Mayner, Soshi Otsuki—winner of the 2025 LVMH Prize—and Shinyakozuka, all involved in special projects and dedicated presentations.