And so begins the fashion calendar for another year – with barely a pause to catch breath after the winter break, Men’s Fashion Week A/W 2024 will commence on January 9 with the arrival of the 105th edition of Pitti Uomo, the menswear fair which takes place in Florence twice-yearly. Stops in Milan and Paris will follow: at the former expect Sabato De Sarno’s menswear debut, a return to the city for Jonathan Anderson and the usual slew of Milanese classics. At the latter, Pharrell Williams will answer the question of just how he can top the sheer spectacle of his blockbuster menswear debut at Louis Vuitton last June with his sophomore outing for the storied house.
Here, everything Wallpaper* knows about Men’s Fashion Week A/W 2024 (so far).
Men’s Fashion Week A/W 2024: what to expect
Pitti Uomo (9 – 12 January 2024)
If the January edition of Florentine menswear fair Pitti Uomo is known as being more low-key than its June-time counterpart (in part due to its notoriously chilly winter temperatures), this season’s schedule is satisfyingly packed. Guest designers include Magliano and S.S. Daley; the fledgling brands, Italian and British respectively, have a similarly liberated approach to creating their collections, which often are rooted in an exploration of class and identity. Magliano, helmed by Luca Magliano, is based in Bologna, the city’s rich history of protest and subculture providing inspiration, while Steven Stokey-Daley (the designer behind S.S. Daley) is an observation of Britain’s still-prevalent class system, explored through theatrical, history-seeped collections.
Elsewhere, American designer Todd Sydner will show a collection at the fair, while Achilles Ion Gabriel, the colourful designer behind cult Majorcan shoe brand Camper, will show his first eponymous fashion collection on January 11 at 12pm. Italian brand Tod’s will reveal an anticipated collaboration with Automobili Lamborghini, Guess Jeans will reveal a sustainable alternative to its traditional stonewashing (‘a springboard for the next four decades’), while Brunello Cucinelli will host a typically lavish dinner, heralding the arrival of the brand’s A/W 2024 collection. Finally, Margaret Howell will bring her recent London exhibition of Architectural Review covers to her riverside Florence store.
Milan Fashion Week Men’s (16 – 20 June 2023)
Another edition of Milan Fashion Week Men’s will open with a debut of sorts: Sabato De Sarno’s first menswear collection for Gucci, which follows his womenswear debut for the Italian house last September. If that set the tone for the Italian designer’s tenure, expect more ‘Ancora Rosso’ – the designer’s signature oxblood-red hue – alongside his luxurious, irreverent riffs on wardrobe classics (his womenswear collection included white tank tops, denim jeans, tailoring, knits and hoodies, alongside flourishes of glamour, like crystal-covered baby doll gowns and 1960s-inspired jewellery). The show will take place on 16 January at 3pm Milan time; at 6pm the same day, Stone Island will host its own very first runway show.
The rest of the calendar offers a typical feast of Milanese fashion fare: Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Emporio and Giorgio Armani, and Zegna will all show their latest collections, while London-based Jonathan Anderson continues to choose the Italian city to present his eponymous menswear line, showing at 7pm on 14 January.
Paris Fashion Week Men’s (16 – 20 June 2023)
After a blockbuster debut – which took place on Paris’ Pont Neuf and involved attendees being shipped in by boat – all eyes will no doubt be on Pharrell Williams as he presents his sophomore menswear show for Louis Vuitton at 8pm on Tuesday 18 (though there are other shows throughout the day, the no-doubt star-studded happening will mark the opening of Paris Fashion Week Men’s proper).
Day two will see the first Givenchy show after Matthew M Williams’ departure in December – the collection will be designed by an in-house team – before another Parisian outing from British designer Grace Wales Bonner, who will show under her eponymous label at 6:30pm that evening. Other highlights include Rick Owens’ distinct brand of showmanship (last menswear season, enormous coloured explosions decorated the air about the Palais de Tokyo show space), Loewe (Anderson won plaudits throughout 2023) and Kim Jones’ latest outing at Dior, seeing the designer enter his sixth year at the Parisian maison.
Completing the schedule is the usual roster of established names, including Paul Smith, Comme des Garçons, Issey Miyake, Dries Van Noten, Valentino and Hermès, alongside an energetic new vanguard of designers – among them Botter, Kiko Kostadinov and Winnie – firmly holding their own.
