As Streetwear and Tradition Collide, Italian Legacy in Flux

Brands grasp for footing in Florence and Milan. HYPEBEAST [Features]( June 22, 2018 [As Streetwear and Tradition Collide, Italian Legacy in Flux]( Brands grasp for footing in Florence and Milan. [Virgil Abloh]( PAUL JEONG/HYPEBEAST As pressure to tap into the growing streetwear market heightens, Pitti Uomo and Milan Fashion Week presented a sound-off of Italian fashion institutions making a choice: embrace streetwear or not. For some, like Pitti Uomo and Versace, joining the movement has come naturally. For others, like Dolce & Gabbana, attempts proved fatal, disrupting design integrity and brand DNA. Elsewhere, players stayed true to their heritage and wisely excused themselves from this narrative altogether, while streetwear brands like Palm Angels were faced with an entirely different task. Beginning the week in Florence, Pitti Immagine Uomo offered a clear stage for a case study on the recent pique of interest in menswear. A powerhouse since the 1970s, the Italian trade fair has continuously reinvented itself, playing an important role in pumping the #menswear frenzy of Instagram generations past. Now, the same playground that bred the Pitti Peacock has as swiftly welcomed a new wave of streetwear goers. It’s not true that everything is going only in the direction of streetwear. It’s both. The freedom of choosing is the real breaking rule of menswear. [Virgil Abloh]( PAUL JEONG/HYPEBEAST At first glance, the flocks of men in loosely coordinated suits posing for hours on end seem to be the remnants of a dying species, particularly against a growing streetwear presence. But, the Pitti arena has managed to create a place of harmony that welcomes both #menswear yielders and #hypebeast addicts. True, the former seems to be the antithesis of hypebeast culture. But, when pasted together, a hyped sneaker seems to be the same vehicle of a different mode as a tailored suit. “It’s not true that everything is going only in the direction of streetwear. It’s both. The freedom of choosing is the real breaking rule of menswear,” says Pitti Immagine Srl. chief executive Raffaello Napoleone. This freedom is clear in Florence, where Pitti is welcoming both a wide range of menswear dressers and waves of contemporary designers of different makings, in the past welcoming streetwear names like Hood By Air, Off-White, Undercover and The Soloist. This season, the line-up of guest designers included Band of Outsiders, Roberto Cavalli, Bed J.W. Ford, and Craig Green among others. Pitti’s adaptability, embracing recent changes and inviting guest designers has allowed the fair to maintain its relevance, being the only trade show with a clear space carved out within the menswear circuit. [READ FULL ARTICLE ON HYPEBEAST →](   [hypebeast](     [More HYPEBEAST Features]( [[FASHION]( [Here's the Best Street Style From Pitti Uomo 94]( [[FOOTWEAR]( [Sneakersnstuff & adidas Leap Into the Future in This Week's Footwear Drops]( Get The App Free on iOS and Android Follow 2018 HYPEBEAST Limited. All Rights Reserved [Manage Subscriptions]( [Unsubscribe]( You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to HYPEBEAST's marketing emails. You can unsubscribe from us any time by clicking [here](. Our Mailing Address: HYPEBEAST, 12F, 10-16 Kwai Ting Road, Kwai Chung, Hong Kong