Pitti Please!

The following is an extract from my article for Tempus Magazine. Read it in full here.

It’s been over two years since I last travelled to Florence for Pitti Uomo. In fact, the last time I left the UK in general was for Pitti, all the way back in January 2020. As soon as our feet touched the ground back in London from that trip, we went into lockdown and subsequently remained landlocked. There were many things besides the trade show I was eagerly looking forward to when it came to the prospect of finally returning: bistecca the size of my head; copious negronis at Harry’s Bar followed by walks along the River Arno; photographing any and every corner of Florence; and seeing old friends with shared passions.

While Pitti technically restarted back in June last year, it never really felt like it was back in all its glory. All roads were leading to January of this year for the return to form, right up until it was announced that a new form of Covid was sweeping the country. In the build up to the trip, paperwork increased, tests were frequent and, frustratingly, all of the events (which is arguably what makes Pitti Uomo such a joy) were cancelled. And it wasn’t just the leisure that was affected.