SOSHIOTSUKI Named Guest Designer for Pitti Immagine Uomo 109

Japanese designer Soshi Otsuki, founder of the brand SOSHIOTSUKI, has been selected as the guest designer for the 109th edition of Pitti Immagine Uomo, one of the world’s leading menswear trade shows, to be held in Florence from January 13 to 16, 2026.

Fresh off his Grand Prix win at the 2025 LVMH Prize, Otsuki will present his Fall/Winter 2026 collection in a special runway format created exclusively for the occasion. The collection is expected to embody the brand’s signature fusion of refined aesthetics and modern sensibility. In addition, SOSHIOTSUKI will design the looks featured in the upcoming Pitti Uomo campaign visuals.

Born in Chiba Prefecture in 1990, Otsuki studied Menswear Design at Bunka Fashion College and further honed his skills at coconogacco, an independent fashion school in Tokyo. He founded SOSHIOTSUKI in 2015 with the concept of “proposing a new form of dandyism crafted through Japanese spirituality and tailoring techniques.” His work has been widely recognized both in Japan and abroad, being selected as an LVMH Prize semi-finalist in 2016 and winning the Tokyo New Designer Fashion Grand Prix in 2019.

A New Vision of “Made in Japan” Through an Italian Lens

Francesca Tacconi, Special Events Coordinator at Pitti Immagine, shared her impressions after meeting Otsuki in Tokyo: “His universe carries both a profound reverence for centuries-old traditions and a sharp contemporary sensibility. It is, in a way, an homage to the men of Tokyo’s bubble era in the 1980s—those who embraced Italian brands such as Armani—yet his reinterpretation is distinctly modern and never nostalgic. Subtle yet commercially intelligent, his creations communicate with clarity and sophistication.”

Tacconi added, “We’re eager to see how his new collection will resonate on the Florentine stage.”

Reflecting on the significance of this moment, Otsuki shared: “Fifteen years ago, I challenged myself to an Italian competition but couldn’t make it.”

“Perhaps I believed that Japan’s subdued atmosphere didn’t belong under Italy’s bright sky. Now, after more than a decade, I am truly honored to present my show in Florence. I’m curious to see how today’s SOSHIOTSUKI will appear under the Italian sky.”