In a sea of dandies bobbing beneath felt fedoras in Florence, at the most influential menswear event on the fashion calendar, two Australian labels are preparing to sink or swim.
At Pitti Uomo this week, veteran Sydney tailor Joe Farage and Melbourne menswear designer Kerrin Schuppan are playing David to immaculately dressed Goliaths in double-breasted suits from London’s Savile Row, Milan and Paris.
“For men’s fashion, this is the mecca,” says Farage. “Everyone here has such an individual style. I have travelled to Pitti Uomo for years seeking inspiration, but this is the first time I have been on the other side, and taken a collection.”
Sydney tailor and Two.One designer Joe Farage at Pitti Uomo 2025, held in Florence, Italy.
The style of Pitti peacocks, with exquisitely knotted ties and perky pocket handkerchiefs, can be intimidating. The Italians have a word for this casual elegance: sprezzatura. (A step-up from the closest Australian word: snazzy.)
The deals taking place behind the posers, in halls packed with nearly 800 exhibitors, are the focus for Farage this time. The twice yearly event is a trade show for men’s fashion, attracting nearly 11,500 buyers in June.
“This is business,” he says. “Big business.”
The Two.One collection Sydney menswear veteran Joe Farage is taking to Pitti Uomo.Credit: Esteban La Tessa
The economic impact of Pitti Uomo is challenging to estimate, with a code of silence surrounding orders, but at its peak before the COVID-19 lockdowns, it brought an estimated €400 million ($663 million) to Florence every year. With the Italian designer menswear market growing 2 per cent to €2.2 billion in 2024, and expected to grow a further 2.6 per cent this year according to Vogue, the promise of lucrative international accounts is too strong for ambitious Australian labels to resist.
“It’s a case of how much further can you go in Australia?” says Farage, who has been in business for 25 years. “The only way to really get substantial growth is to take it worldwide.”
“I have waited until now because I felt that if I was going out into the world I couldn’t take my tailoring to the UK and Europe where they wrote the book. How would I stand out?”
Farage’s slim suiting stayed behind in Sydney. Buyers at Pitti Uomo will see his new outerwear label Two.One, created alongside former Tom Ford and MacPac designer Quentin Hart. Bomber jackets and hoodies in technical fabric developed with The Woolmark Company, utilising merino wool, combine the contemporary chic of Moncler with the functionality of Stone Island (both Italian labels).
“We’re doing something that’s a bit tailored in the outdoor space and it feels right for me to take that to the world.”
Sydney tailor Joe Farage is taking his new label Two.One to Pitti Uomo for the first time; Melbourne-based label Kerrin will show at Pitti Uomo for the second time.
“It’s for a very cold weather climate, so success in the US and Europe is key to our survival. For that to happen we have to be here.”
Farage has set up his stall in the outerwear section of the fashion fair, which is also where Schuppan will be offering a more familiar slice of Australian style with his label Kerrin. The former head of menswear at Country Road and graduate of the prestigious Central Saint Martins fashion school in London, specialises in T-shirts, sweaters and shorts he describes as “surf luxe”.
“I think we can stand out as an Australian brand in that environment,” Schuppan says. “Australia has an opportunity to carve out an identity at Pitti.”
“I reference Australian beach culture with heritage pieces in a minimalist way. I think we have a different way of dressing and approaching casual wear in Australia, so we can definitely play with that in Europe.”
Schuppan also uses merino wool in some designs, alongside corduroys and brushed cotton flannels. It impressed visitors to Pitti Uomo in June, when Kerrin made its debut at the event.
“For us that first time was about building relationships and seeing if there was a place for us internationally,” Schuppan says. “But in Italy things take time. People told us that it’s important to come back and demonstrate that you’re not a one-off. You have to be in it for the long haul and we are.”
With trips to Italy now locked in on the Kerrin calendar, Pitti Uomo takes precedence over the Melbourne Fashion Festival and Australian Fashion Week.
“Those events are fantastic but they take a lot of time and money. Committing to Pitti gives structure to our business and the timing works for our collections.”
Success at Pitti Uomo for Farage and Schuppan looks as different as a Two.One printed technical hooded jacket and a Kerrin pair of olive board shorts.
“To land a deal with one of the big European department stores would be everything,” says Farage. “The interest so far has been great.”
“We would love to land a big international agency but for us it’s enough to have the confidence to know that we can stand tall alongside the international brands.”
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