FLORENCE, THE STAGE FOR INTERNATIONAL FASHION'S BIG EVENTS:

download the calendar of events

-DVF, THE SPECIAL EVENT AT PITTI W
Diane von Furstenberg will be the special guest at the second edition of Pitti W – Woman Precollection. On the evening of Wednesday, 18 June, at 8.30 p.m., the extraordinary en plein air setting of the Giardino Torrigiani will be the backdrop for an elegant, glamorous event and the absolute preview of the DVF's 2008-09 Cruise/Pre-Spring Collection.

THE SPECIAL EVENT AT PITTI UOMO:
- WALTER VAN BEIRENDONCK MEN'S FASHION PROJECT
The Men's Fashion Project at this edition of Pitti Uomo will feature Belgian designer Walter Van Beirendonck.  Thursday 19 June at 6.30 p.m., in the Gardens of the Museo Stibbert, the most eccentric of the Antwerp Six will première “eXplicit”, his S/S 2009 menswear collection during a performance-event starring his own unmistakable style.

_THE CASSETTE PLAYA FASHION PARTY
London based designer Carri Mundane, who has achieved fame on the international fashion scene under the name of Cassette Playa, will be participating at this edition of Pitti Uomo with a live-installation of jumpdance videos on the Florentine hills.  From 11.00 p.m. on Thursday 19 June, Cassette Playa will animate an exclusive party held at the Collegio of Poggio Imperiale, together with her community of friends and colleagues from London, Tokyo, Los Angeles and New York.

_ HUGO BOSS IS COMING BACK TO FLORENCE
The German brand will celebrate its return to Florence with the BOSS Orange Fashion Event: from 9.00 p.m. on the evening of Thursday 19 June, a fashion show, a gala dinner and a party will turn the spotlights onto the new BOSS Orange Women's and Men's Spring/Summer Collection 2009. In fact, on this occasion, the women's collection will be coming down the runway alongside of the men's.

In cooperation with Pitti Immagine:
_ CORNELIANI’s FIRST 50 YEARS
On Tuesday 17 June, at 8.00 p.m., Corneliani will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a spectacular event comprising two parts: an installation entitled "Linelight" in Palazzo Capponi (near Piazza SS. Annunziata) covering the brand's history with a selection of images from half a century of collections, and a gala dinner in the magnificent Parco della Gherardesca, now the home of the new Four Seasons Hotel.

_ DIRK BIKKEMBERGS AT THE STAZIONE LEOPOLDA 
Belgian designer Dirk Bikkembergs has once again chosen Florence and Pitti Uomo to launch a new, exclusive project. From 6.00 p.m. on Wednesday 18 June, at the Stazione Leopolda, the Bikkembergs style – that will also be featured at a stand in the Fortezza – will be the focus of a striking setting. 

_ THE “STEFANO RICCI HERITAGE TROPHY” AT THE BOBOLI GARDENS
On the evening of Friday 20 June, in cooperation with Pitti Immagine, Stefano Ricci will present the "Stefano Ricci Heritage Trophy”. Inspired by the mythical "Concorso di Eleganze per Automobili" of the 'fifties, the event will star the "great Italian sport cars": famous racing cars such as the Ferrari 250 Mille Miglia by Eugenio Castelletti, will be on display in the morning at the Piazzale della Ghiaia at the Fortezza da Basso and the public can vote for their favorite. In the afternoon, the cars will be driven through the city to the Boboli Gardens, the venue for an exclusive dinner.

_ BALLANTYNE’S OPENING ON VIA TORNABUONI
From 6.00 p.m. on Thursday 19 June, Ballantyne will celebrate the opening of its first single-brand store on Via Tornabuoni with an exclusive event organized in cooperation with Pitti Immagine.  The Heritage Edition Event, a tribute to the master of the cardigan who the fashion house is remembering with a journey through the decades using historical items from its archives, will be held in the atmospheric courtyard of Palazzo Antinori.  

And…during Pitti Uomo:
_  FIRST PRESENTS “GOLDEN DREAM”
In the greenery of the gardens of Villa Vittoria, First, the monthly supplement to Panorama, will present “Golden Dream”, a photography exhibit-installation dedicated to the Italian athletes setting off for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing: a series of images that inspired portraitist Efrem Raimondi with the Olympic dream.  A presentation cocktail party will be held at 5.00 p.m. on Thursday 19.

_ SUNDEK: “50TH ANNIVERSARY”
During Pitti Uomo the Palazzina Presidenziale will be the temporary home of Sundek, the surfers' cult brand that is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a retrospective exhibition of the images that made the brand's history, and a party-event scheduled for Wednesday 18 June from 10.30 p.m. featuring the sounds of Nicky Siano, the iconic DJ from Studio 54 and The Gallery.

THE OTHER EVENTS AT PITTI UOMO 74
The agenda for this edition of Pitti Uomo will be filled with events at the fair and around the town.  The events organized by Pitti Uomo exhibitors include:

Tuesday 17 June, a fashion show introducing the 2009 spring-summer menswear collection from Cycle at the Tenuta di Capezzana, Prato; a party at Colle Bereto during which Firenze Made in Tuscany Magazine will present its latest issue.  In the afternoon, the Fondazione Roberto Capucci and the Archivio G.B. Giorgini will be inaugurating the exhibition “La nascita della moda italiana nelle immagini dell’archivio G.B.Giorgini” at Villa Bardini: a charity event in aid of FILE.

Wednesday 18 June, at the Fortezza, “80 years of shirtmaking - Eton Diamond Shirt" at the Eton stand; press meetings at the Diadora Heritage and Henry Cotton’s stands, and the Fruit Fragrances Party by SLAM.  In town: the lunch for buyers and the press dedicated to Police, the Ketch presentation cocktail party at the Circolo Canottieri of Florence, and the exhibition “I Mari dell’Uomo. Fotografie di Folco Quilici” organized by North Sails at the MNAF.  Plus, a series of big events to light up the evenings: from the fashion show presenting the new menswear collection from Messagerie in the prestigious setting of Palazzo Strozzi, to the elegant dinner hosted by Brunello Cucinelli at Villa Mezzomonte, the glittering “I © Army - Sweet Years Party” and the “Lee Rocks” concert celebrating the historic denim brand at the Gambrinus.

Thurdsay 19 June, at the Fortezza: Mason’s “Backstage performance” introducing the men’s collection for spring-summer 2009, at the stand; the press conference attended by Mihara Yasuhiro, to present the PUMA project by Mihara Yasuhiro & dress for PLAYSTATION®3; and the press meetings organized by RRD and Siviglia at their stand.  In town: the “Robert Tateossian’s Rare Stones – Premiere” event at Palazzo Ximenes Panciatichi that Tateossian is dedicating to the launch of his new collection of limited edition cuff links.  Followed by: the Il Sole 24 Ore cocktail party at the Relais Santa Croce; the opening of the Alessandro Gherardeschi boutique in Via della Vigna; Pal Zileri’s exclusive cocktail party at Colle Bereto; and the traditional Classico Italia gala evening in the Ammannati Courtyard of Palazzo Pitti.  There is also a series of party-events: from the Roy Roger’s “Flower party”, at the Circolo Tennis in the Cascine, to the live performance, “Re-Thinking Mona Lisa”, by Gherardini at the Stazione Leopolda.

Plus, from Wednesday 18 June and continuing for the duration of Pitti Uomo, at Villa Favard, the Institute’s future home, Polimoda Firenze will be presenting “La moda in mostra…Polimoda a Villa Favard”: a selection of garments from the collections of a group of young designers from the Advanced Fashion Design and Fashion Footwear Design Master’s Degree courses, alongside the best creations selected from the Polimoda Fashion Show 2008 by a jury of experts.

The year of the Olympics is also the inspiration for “Superhuman Performance. L’evoluzione del tessuto per lo sport”, an exhibition that the Museo del Tessuto of Prato (20 June - 30 November) is dedicating to fabrics for sport: the inauguration is scheduled for the evening of Thursday 20 June.

The events around town include: Tuesday 17, the talk show “Luisa Loves Climate” and, on Wednesday 18, the presentation of the new limited edition Levi’s® 501® jeans during the opening of the new Luisaviaroma.  Also on Wednesday, there will be the Brooks Brothers’ cocktail party held in collaboration with Bang and Olufsen.  Friday 19 will feature the preview of the exhibition that the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo is dedicating to the work of Renato Missaglia, inspired by the creations of the Florentine fashion house.  Followed by: the launch of the Gold line from the Everlast group;  and the exhibition of works by Carole A. Feuerman at the Galleria Moretti in Piazza degli Ottaviani. And finally, from 11.00 p.m. on Friday 20 June, the party that has been a cult event for international dance since 1987: the 44th L’Altro Uomo Party, at the Central Park of the Cascine, that brings the coolest of the cool to Florence each season.