William Shen is a mathematician and creates down jackets whose designs break down fashion stereotypes.
NEW YORK — Pitti Uomo has tapped a mathematician to be its special guest at the upcoming menswear trade show.
Raxxy, a brand founded by William Shen, will create an installation at the fair in January showcasing the brand’s down jackets that blur the lines between fashion, mathematics and sculpture.
At a breakfast Thursday morning at Casa Cipriani here, the Pitti Uomo team said Shen drew on his background in math to create a collection rooted in “algorithmic thinking.”
Shen will be joined at the show, slated for Jan. 12 to 15 in Florence, by guest designers Simon Holloway of Dunhill and Kartik Kumra of Kartik Research.
Other highlights of the show will include a labyrinth installation at the entrance to the fair, curated by Edward Buchanan, that will serve as a teaser to the 50th anniversary of Pitti Filati, the company’s textile show that will be held Jan. 20 to 22. The installation will highlight the history of the show.
The upcoming edition of Pitti Uomo is expected to have a total of 750 brands, 25 of which are from the U.S. Some 300 international buyers attended the last edition of the show, whose theme this year is “Pitti Goes Wild.”
At the breakfast, Francesca Tacconi, director of special events, said the theme is intended to celebrate individuality and the rule-breaking attitude of today’s man. That holds true for the show as well, which has moved beyond its roots in classic menswear to offer buyers contemporary brands, sportswear, accessories, beauty and other categories.
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