Why are Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger at Pitti Uomo this year? One brand is making its debut, the other is returning, but both seem to recognize the importance of an international showcase
This year there's a crisis, and amid the general turmoil of a reshuffling market, international showcases and trade fairs are becoming increasingly important for standing out. Even for already enormous brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, both part of the PVH group, which this year are among the exhibitors at the 111th edition of Pitti Uomo, taking place in Florence from January 12 to 15, 2027. According to the organizers, more than 700 exhibitors have already been confirmed for this year, and there has been a 28% increase in participation applications.
In the case of Calvin Klein, participation at Pitti is an absolute debut, with denim collections taking center stage; Tommy Hilfiger, on the other hand, is returning for the third time after 2017 and 2025. Beyond them, there are another 25 American brands that will be present this year, as well as the debut of Martin Sallières, a young French talent trained at the Design Academy Eindhoven and already stocked at Dover Street Market London. But why?
Going to the Fair
Around 44% of exhibitors at the upcoming edition of Pitti come from abroad, testament to Pitti's growing importance in the middle market. This is why Ivano Cauli, CEO of Pitti Immagine, intends to extend its scope by using «an exhibition space funded by us that will host emerging brands from around the world», as the CEO explained. At the same time, the aim is to expand brand projects beyond the Fortezza da Basso to create a kind of "Fuorisalone del Pitti" capable of involving the whole of Florence. But the effect of this product-driven fair — more technical in nature and focused on brands less costly than luxury ones — is being felt across the menswear sector.
According to data from Confindustria Moda, in the first seven months of 2026 Italian menswear exports reached €5.38 billion, up 0.9% compared to the same period the previous year. Imports, meanwhile, fell 6.5% to €3.52 billion. European markets now account for 48.2% of the total, while non-EU markets account for 51.8%. The largest share of exports goes to France, the USA, and Germany, though China and Spain are also on the rise. The strongest categories are leather garments, ties, and outerwear, while shirts and knitwear are in decline. A business that is therefore adapting but pressing forward, and one that expects to attract 19,000 visitors including buyers and press. And perhaps that is why the two PVH brands decided to show up this year.
Americans in Florence
The presence of Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein at Pitti Immagine might raise a few questions. The categories and types of brands that typically frequent the fair tend to be more tailored, artisanal, and in some respects more "established." While Tommy Hilfiger's presence is therefore plausible — given that preppy and tailored aesthetics are part of the brand's DNA — Calvin Klein's is more curious, since it is not a label typically associated with tailoring. But their presence is explained by the fact that both belong to the PVH group, which has clear interests in elevating both brands.
Back in 2022, group CEO Stefan Larsson had unveiled the multi-year PVH+ plan which, as intended, was supposed to bring the group's revenues to $12.5 billion by 2025. Let's just say that not everything went according to plan: 2025 revenues were around $9 billion, and were growing. Over these years, the group increased direct sales and cleaned up its wholesale operation, eliminating many non-core business branches such as licenses.
With Trump's tariffs and duties and various geopolitical disasters, there were some setbacks last year, but the new foundations are in place: progress has been made on the supply chain, partly through partnerships with OpenAI, and many production licenses have been brought back in-house (especially those covering the sportswear, denim, underwear, and lifestyle categories) to strengthen the core business. Crucially, over the past two years — including through some legal disputes — the group has recovered the licenses for Calvin Klein jeans and the sportswear lines of both Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger. The remaining licenses are expected to be completed by the end of the year.
The two brands are now the group's "champions" (together they account for nearly all of its revenue), with Calvin Klein generating half its income from underwear and denim alone — a figure that rises to 80% of revenues when casual clothing from the Jeans line is included. It is precisely in this category that the group now wants to achieve double-digit growth, and will therefore push it especially hard in order to bring new product to European and global buyers — both signaling a brand elevation (there should also be price "elevation," for the record) and taking advantage of a less chaotic context than fashion week to collect orders in advance and signal its presence to partners.