The Pitti Bimbo childrenswear show will be staged in Florence in January with a new, more streamlined format and a greater focus on buyers, reflecting the sector’s ongoing evolution. 

Pitti Bimbo’s 100th edition will be staged at the Fortezza da Basso venue in Florence on January 22-23, and will feature over 150 exhibitors, 65% of them from outside Italy. The show’s duration has been shortened to two days, and for the first time buyers will be admitted for free, as well as benefiting from reduced train fares and hotel rates for their journey and stay in Florence. Also for the first time, access to the show will be from the venue’s Porta Faenza entrance. 
 
The layout for Pitti Bimbo 100 has been redesigned with the help of architect Ilaria Marelli of Milan’s Polytechnic University. It will also feature cheaper pre-designed stands, fully fitted but customisable, to make participation easier for some exhibitors. 

“The show’s 100th edition isn’t just a milestone. Pitti is changing to assist businesses in economic terms. There is also an aesthetic reason for this. Pitti Bimbo will be a test of our ability to curate and choose the right [exhibitors] to create a wonderful setting, pulling everyone together in coherent fashion. So that buyers will be able to have a positive relationship with the event. Exhibitors will contribute with their own strengths, added to the event’s strength. It’s a collective effort in which exhibitors express themselves at their best, and buyers will be happy with the choice,” said Agostino Poletto, managing director of organiser Pitti Immagine. 
 
“The childrenswear market is transforming. It’s progressing at two speeds. Europe is slow, the rest of the world is moving faster, with Russia, the Middle East and the USA in the lead. [Italian producers] are exporting 57-58% of their output outside the European Union. With ICE [Italy’s Foreign Trade agency], we’ve worked hard to attract foreign buyers. We’ve had attendance confirmation by buyers from Seoul, the Middle East and the UK,” said Antonio Cristaudio of Pitti Immagine.
 
The show’s theme is fire, seen as a magical, ancestral, and frightening element. It’s forbidden to children, but also symbolic. For Pitti it stands for the creative flame, and in the Pitti Bimbo campaign, fire turns into a cartoon with both static images and animations.
 
The show’s new layout is underpinned by an urban concept. It revolves around four ‘city’ squares, each with a differently themed installation: My First (for newborns), Magic Party (occasion wear), Be Sporty (outdoor wear), and Snowtime (for winter romps). The show will exploit the urban format to add to its range of exhibitors, featuring producers of accessories, food and lifestyle products.
 
Among the childrenswear brands, Blauer Junior will present a limited-edition puffer jacket with an original Liberty print, and another in waxed ripstop fabric. Roy Roger’s Kids will launch the new Miniroy capsule collection, for the younger denim fans.
 
To celebrate the show’s 100th edition, some brands will showcase limited-edition clothes and accessories created exclusively for Pitti Bimbo. There will be a collaboration with renowned baby and kids marketplace Family Circle, and one with Magil, the designer outfitting the participants at Italy’s historic Zecchino d’oro children’s singing competition. Finally, the show will host the third edition of Fashion Speed Dates, short, focused meetings between brands and buyers or the press.