What's that? Carson Street churning out some engaging fire #content? Damn, son. Who knew? CSC talked to some of the most influential folks in the menswear business about the craziness that Pitti Uomo has become. We've all seen the evolution over the past few years, when everyone finally gained access to the storied Italian compound that hosts the bi-annual trade show, but how did it come to be *Neil deGrasse Tyson voice*? It seems that with the advent of the Internet and the popularity of street style, everything changed and people started actually paying attention to the once admittedly kinda shitty industry gathering. Even Complex/Four Pins resident nerd Jian DeLeon, who's attending his first Pitti as we speak and popping 'grams on our behalf, and this very site's boss person Lawrence Schlossman got to lend some insight. Anyway, take a look at Carson Street's full breakdown and peep the notable highlights below:
Yasuto Kamoshita, Camoshita:
I’ve been attending Pitti Uomo for 30 years, I was a buyer at that time and there weren’t very many Japanese buyers. People labeled me Chinese. Asian meant Chinese. Korean meant Chinese. Japanese meant Chinese. I’d walk out of the booth and they’d say "That Chinese man came by again."
Mimi Fukuyoshi, Bergdorf Goodman:
When I was a buyer at Bloomingdales in the 90’s, this used to be such a lame show. No one wanted to come. I’d say, “No, I went last season. You have to go this season.” Then it totally blew up and I could never figure out why or what changed. I honestly think it was the Internet and street style photography. No one sat in the middle of the Fortezza. None of that happened. There was no picture taking.
Nick Wooster:
I came to my first Pitti in 1987. I’m only 54 so, more than half of my life, I’ve been here. It’s exactly like this country—of course it’s different now, but it’s also exactly the same. There were peacocks, the only difference was there weren’t people taking pictures of them. It was a shit-show then and it’s a shit-show now, you know, you’re trying to do too many things in a little amount of time. ... All I know is that Pitti is what I still think of as the birthplace of menswear. Styles come and go. Now people are wearing jeans and sneakers, which they never were 28 years ago, and it was all sartorial.
Tommy Ton:
When I first started, summer of 2010, I would actually show up at 3:00 p.m. I thought I could just roll in like “yeah, whatever…” It’s been almost five years now and you never know what to expect. ... It’s a bit predictable at times but the most surprising moment was when Kanye West showed up out of nowhere while the boys were out having lunch.
Scott Schuman, The Sartorialist:
My first impression of Pitti? It was like all the best dressed men in the world got together to have a party in the most beautiful city in the world. ... I was at a lunch in Florence during Pitti looking around the room and thought, “Wow, all those guys seem so cool. I should make a film just to document what it’s like to look at these guys being cool, acting cool.” It was more about capturing what it’s like to be here. What they’re saying’s not important—it’s the idea of all these guys communicating. What you get at Pitti is men (not fashion editors) from all around the world who share a dedication to style.
