Curtains came down on the 90th edition of Pitti Uomo (the men's fashion trade show) last Friday and signaled an increase in attendance figures. According to closing figures, the event, which took place in Florence from June 14-17 recorded a 3 per cent jump in Italians, or 12,100 buyers and a 2.4 per cent increase in foreigners, the non-Italian attendee numbers reaching 8,400. The 90th edition offered a particularly rich four-day program with both new brands attending and special events taking place; a total of 1,222 brands, of which 248 were new. The event showcases the latest Spring/Summer collections, which set the tone early on in the season, giving a positive signal to the current market, while the economic context is rather grim.

Pitti registered a 2.5 per cent growth in buyer numbers which reached 20,500 compared to 20,000 last year. In total it attracted more than 30,000 visitors. After a mild start with a lacklustre first day attendance, Pitti was full in the days that followed. Asian buyer numbers increased the most in this edition. Britain registered the largest growth in buyer attendance recording double-digit growth, up 18 per cent; Belgium followed, up 7 per cent, and Germany was up 5 per cent. Worth noting was the strong Russian comeback, up 10 per cent, after the collapse of recent seasons and an increase in "incredible" buyers from the Baltic countries and Eastern Europe. Only the French disappointed.

Concerning the other continents, there was an evident shift in power towards Chinese buyers, whose attendance increased 14 per cent, while American buyers increased 3 per cent and Japanese by 4 per cent. Enrico Labriola Trade show organisers also highlighted "excellent results for Portugal, Denmark, Mexico, Australia, South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan." Among the 15 highest ranking countries for overall attendance, Germany was at the top of the list, followed by Japan, Spain, the UK, the Netherlands, China, France, Turkey, Switzerland, Belgium and the US.