Pitti Uomo is a Cosplay Convention

I have attended Pitti Uomo, the bi-annual menswear trade show, twice: once as a video director documenting the event and most recently as a participant, representing MAROL of Bologna. Something that struck me on my first visit was cemented this time around. That while intended as a trade show for buyers and sellers to meet and conduct business, the outdoor spaces of the event are a kind of spectacle. Instead of industry types exchanging business cards, the plazas are spattered with flamboyantly dressed men vying for attention from the large crowd of photographers. For these “Pitti Peacocks” it’s not a trade show, it’s a cosplay convention. And trust me, I know of what I speak.

Prepare yourself for something you might find disturbing.

That’s me, well over a decade ago. In my 20s and early 30s, I was a huge fan of Anime and attended many conventions in Toronto to hang out with fellow fans and stock up on toys, DVDs and manga. And as an excuse to get dressed up. The image above is one of my last cosplays, as Mugen from Samurai Champloo. I constructed the outfit myself (with lots of help from my seamstress mother) and am proud of how well it replicates the character. I’ve never had my photo taken as often as I did at that convention.

And photography is something that Pitti peacocks and cosplayers have in common. One of the main reasons both attend their respective events is to be photographed. Both even prepare poses: the cosplayers practice several of their characters’ classic stances while the peacocks pretend to talk on cell phones or else lean casually against a wall, simulating a “street style” moment.

Where cosplayers and Pitti peacocks diverge is their intentions. I used to dress for conventions as an expression of my love of the characters. And to share that love with fellow fans. I honestly don’t know why the Pitti peacocks do what they do. Are they trying to become influencers? Are they promoting brands? Are they simply desperate for attention?

Of course the most obvious argument as to why Pitti peacocks are actually cosplayers is that, like my photo above, no one in their right mind would normally dress this way. Combined with the opaque reasons for their behaviour, this explains why the peacocks draw so much ire from those attending Pitti for the right reasons. The peacocks distract and embarrass. They exaggerate to the point of absurdity. Instead of celebrating male elegance they parody it. They turn a menswear event into a circus.

Perhaps the solution is for Pitti to open a new pavilion dedicated to street fashion photography. For clarity, they can call it “Padiglione Cosplay.”