It has been announced that a joint show by Takahashi Jun (UNDERCOVER) and Miyashita Takahiro (TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloist./TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloist., hereafter referred to as Soloist) will be held as a special event on January 11th at the 93rd PITTI IMMAGINE UOMO93 (hereafter referred to as PITTI UOMO), the world's largest trade fair for men's fashion Fall/Winter 2018-19, which will be held in Florence, Italy in January next year. 
From left) Miyashita Takahiro (TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloist.), Takahashi Jun (UNDERCOVER)
Further plans at the exhibition include a show (January 9th) and exhibition (venue: Pitti Palace / January 11th-14th) celebrating the 200th anniversary of Brooks Brothers, America's oldest apparel brand, the premiere of Malibu 1992's new brand M1992, a collaboration with Berlin culture magazine 032c, and a show by an up-and-coming Finnish brand as guest nation.
When the exhibition was held in January last year, 36,000 people visited, including 825 buyers and press from Japan. This time, the theme is "PITTI LIVE MOVIE," and the venue, Fortezza da Basso, is planned to be set up like a film festival. We interviewed Lapo Cianhi, Communications & Special Events Director at Pitti Immagine, who oversees the various events and symbolic events of the times that are held every time. 
Lapo Cianhi, Communications & Special Events Director at Pitti Immagine Uomo
Q: I was surprised to hear that the next special event will be a joint show by UNDERCOVER and TAKAHIROMYASHITATHESOLOIST. Is this part of the project to introduce Japanese designers that is supported by JFW (Japan Fashion Week Association) and carried out every time Pitti Uomo holds it?
Lapo Cianhi (hereinafter La): No. The event, supported by JFW, is planned by the marketing team, which is responsible for the commercial department at Pitti headquarters, and introduces young brands to an international audience. The Undercover and Soloist joint show is one of the main events held in a different section of Pitti, led by the communications team I oversee, with a non-commercial purpose. Last year, our section hosted the first runway show by visvim from Japan.
The success of Pitti Uomo lies in the natural hybridization of two different platforms. The marketing team focuses on the pure purpose of the trade fair, exhibiting, while the communications team provides engaging cultural entertainment with artistic impact.
Looking at the current state of global fashion, trade fairs are entering an era where it is becoming more difficult to attract customers. Fashion shows are also facing difficult times, but Pitti Uomo has succeeded by combining a high selection of the best brands as a trade fair with innovative scouting skills for artistic and impactful brands as a communication tool.
Q: Undercover presented its first men's-only show at Pitti Uomo in June 2009, and this is Soloist's first show. Does this mean that Japanese men's brands are attracting attention?
La: We are always keeping a close eye on Japanese men's brands. This is not just in the commercial aspect of a trade fair, but also because they hold an important key as a global communication tool.
It is a great pleasure that Takahashi, who has been at the forefront of avant-garde fashion for 25 years, will once again present his men's collection on the runway at Pitti. Miyashita has been attending every show from the very beginning of Takahashi's first brand, Number Nine, and has had his eye on Miyashita's talent. It's rare for two brands to share a show, but we're honored to be able to provide a platform for them to express the cultures of both brands, connected by a passion for music against the backdrop of Tokyo's street scene, and the longstanding friendship between the two designers. We hope that each brand's unique inspiration and uncompromising craftsmanship will guide the next wave of the fashion scene.
Q: Why did you choose these two brands this time?
L: I highly value Undercover's stunning postmodern style and collections, as well as Takahashi's aesthetic sensibility and mysticism, and Miyashita's unique design vision of Western imagination and youth culture. I'm sure the city of Florence and these two designers' collections will provide endless inspiration for the audience.
Q: What kind of designers do you think can create new trends?
La: I focus on people who can speak a new language that is in line with lifestyle. I'm interested in people who can create in line with their own lifestyle, rather than brands that are simply influenced by market trends. For example, when you say "artistic," it sounds like I'm expecting some kind of lofty cultural background, but that's not necessarily the case. Rather, it just means being able to transform the real-life culture that the younger generation finds enjoyable into fashion.
Q: It's true that the designers invited by Pitti Uomo in recent years have been people who speak a new language.
LA: Raf Simons, visvim, Gosha Rubchinskiy, and the previous Pitti Uomo designers Virgil Abloh and J.W. Anderson all show at Pitti Uomo, and while they're all in different segments, they've applied their backgrounds to fashion, using new textiles and innovative techniques to create their own unique language. I'm always interested in people who are able to do that.
Q: Is there a trend of Japanese designers or Japanese fashion influencing the Italian fashion industry?
LA: That's a difficult question. It's possible that young Italian designers today are influenced by the creations of young Japanese designers. However, only a handful of Italians actually wear (or buy) clothes by Japanese designers. Looking at it from a more macro perspective, however, a deep insight into textiles may be a common thread between Japanese and Italian fashion. It could be said that they influence each other in the way that careful textile research is conducted in clothing creation and then applied to production techniques. However, Italian textiles tend to be somewhat classic, while I personally believe that Japanese textiles are more progressive and therefore in the best position in the world.
Q: What about street fashion?
L: Of course, Italy has been influenced by Japan in street fashion. Especially since the 1980s, the "break with tradition" spirit exemplified by Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto has had a major impact not only on Italian designers but also on today's designers. "Break tradition" sounds easy to say, but it's actually difficult in the fashion world. Many designers have been inspired and inspired by his unyielding and courageous approach.
Q: The fashion industry has seen rapid changes with the internet, such as the See Now Buy Now movement. How is Pitti Uomo responding to digital?
L: The market is changing so quickly that we must constantly innovate and update. As you know, seven years ago we established a separate company under the Pitti umbrella, FieraDigitale, and launched a website called "e-PITTI.com." One week after the fair ended, exhibitors and guests could purchase items there, which has been well received.
The See Now Buy Now movement, which connects consumers directly with brands, has been gaining attention, but currently only megabrands are using it, making it difficult for smaller brands to keep up. In fact, the products sold there tend to be mostly basic items, and it's probably difficult to sell items made with high-quality textiles or other elaborate crafts online. Of course, a shift to digital is a natural progression in the future, but physical trade fairs will likely never disappear, and I believe they must remain inseparable from the internet.
Text: TATSUYA NODA
