DLS APPAREL WAS BACK AT PITTI UOMO

After a few years of quarantine, DLS (with a group of happy retailers) was delighted to make it back to this incomparable four-day event at the Fortezza da Basso. The 671 featured brands were organized by lifestyle: Fantastic Classic, Futuro Maschile, Dynamic Attitude, Super Styling and Sustainable Style. It was a time for exploration and discovery and this magical island did not disappoint. The talented retailers in our group included Michael Duru Clothiers, Lane’s, Halberstadt’s, Mainline Custom, and Retail One. As always at Pitti Uomo, it was wonderful to watch the camaraderie that formed from shared experiences.

A special thank you to Pitti Uomo for inviting us to the Pitti Club where we could meet, escape the brutal heat, and enjoy a delicious lunch. Thank goodness I purchased a straw fedora (the hat of choice at Pitti) to shade me from the sun.

Discoveries

The overwhelming trend at Pitti and common belief among retailers: people are coming out of lockdown and dressing up again! (Well maybe not in these outfits…)

All kidding aside, while not all guys are wearing sartorial DB suits, the featherweight unconstructed soft coat is still a top trend, now with wider peak lapels. The shirt jacket also ranked high on the list, and Tombolini had it all!

Gi CAPRI soft coats (out of Naples, recommended by Jeff Halberstadt) were a real find and at great prices.

MUNRO, an important resource for the DLS stores, offered a great Spring 23 collection.

Elevated sportswear (casual and dressy) was a big hit at Sand.

Also fabulous: performance yarns in dressed up activewear at RUNNING by Tombolini.

Italians love their lightweight, colorful outerwear jackets with pocket details. I recommend the lightweight short jackets from L’IMPERMEABILE.

SCHNEIDERS looked great, as always.

Also, the BARACUTA Collection, reworked by WP Lavori.

Quilted vests were shown by many brands but Waterville in my humble opinion has the best selections.

Outdoor-inspired, PAUL & SHARK looked fantastic. I hadn’t seen this collection in a while but was excited by the direction I saw. 

MASERATI by North Sails (with Tom Ott overseeing USA sales) was also exceptional, at great prices! 

The Sustainable Style section, a special project by Fondazione Pitti Discovery, was dedicated to young Italian start-up companies. These entrepreneurs create their materials from plastics collected from the oceans, and use recycled water and certified recycled materials free of polluting chemicals. Special processes are often done by laser and feature non-chemical dyes that extract pure color from plants, clay, tree bark, and leftover scraps of wool. Amazing fashion that will help preserve our planet, these young start-ups deserve a place on your selling floor, perhaps as a pop-up or special event.

 Will finish up tomorrow with a few more brand recommendations. Ciao for now,

Lee Leonard (AKA Leonardo), DLS