Tmall this week showcased the creations from some of China’s up-and-coming designers at the latest edition of Pitti Uomo, the biannual menswear trade show in Italy.
The designers, including 8on8 and Untitlab, presented their work at Tmall’s exhibition space at the event, which ran June 11-14 in Florence, alongside over 1,200 participating brands. Some of the biggest names in luxury, such as Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Givenchy, Karl Lagerfeld and Armani, were in attendance.
WATCH: ‘Guest Nation China’ at Pitti Uomo
8on8 and Untitlab were also part of the line-up for “Guest Nation China,” show organizer Pitti Immagine’s incubator for burgeoning designers worldwide, with each edition focusing on a different country. Eleven Chinese designers presented their collections with a series of runway shows and exhibitions at Pitti Uomo, rolled out in collaboration with Tmall, Shanghai Fashion Week and the retail-and-fashion incubator Labelhood.
“We are the gateway for international designers, brands, retailers, and small businesses looking to reach Chinese consumers. At the same time, we are always looking to spot and launch new trends and talents that are gaining momentum in the sector worldwide, in this case from China,” said Alibaba Group’s European director of fashion and luxury, Christina Fontana. “It is therefore an honor for us to collaborate as strategic partner of the Pitti Immagine Discovery Foundation for the Guest Nation China initiative and be present at Pitti Uomo.”
Lapo Cianchi, director of Communications and Special Projects at Pitti Immagine, on the foundation’s website called China “one of the most fertile and dynamic territories on a global level for fashion experimentation.”
“That’s why we decided, together with the prestigious partners accompanying us in this project, to present 11 of the most innovative Chinese brands to buyers and the international press,” he said on the site.
The emerging menswear labels featured at Guest Nation China include 8on8, Danshan, Ffixxed Studios, Junwei Lin, Percy Lau, Private Policy, Pronounce, Samuel Guì Yang, The Flocks, Staffonly and Untitlab.
Later this month, Tmall will also launch a dedicated Pitti Uomo landing page on its mobile app, bringing short videos and street-style photos from the men’s tradeshow to Chinese consumers. The page will also feature new indie-designer crossover items from apparel and fast-moving consumer goods brands on the e-commerce platform, such as Chinese apparel giant Mark Fairwhale’s Dunhuang art-inspired collection, designed by 8on8, or footwear brand Warrior’s “Youthquake” sneaker line, designed in collaboration with Untitlab.