Israeli designer Hed Mayner brings sensuality and movement to Italy in his most groundbreaking show yet. Invited to the prestigious Pitti Uomo fair in Florence, Mayner presented a collection that challenges traditional tailoring with an original voice, a sense of freedom, and clothes that both men and women will want to wear.
The Fall-Winter 2026-27 collection, unveiled on Wednesday night, is Mayner's strongest and most cohesive to date. It showcases new silhouettes and design codes inspired by his early career, approximately a decade ago. The show took place at the Palazzina Reale di Santa Maria Novella, a Rationalist building from the 1930s, constructed of white Carrara marble and once serving the Italian royal family.
Mayner's vision for the show was to create a dynamic experience, connecting his work aesthetically to Florence while avoiding the 'look, don't touch' museum-like atmosphere often associated with monumental cities like Florence. He wanted the collection to feel more connected to the city.
In recent seasons, Mayner has been pushing the boundaries of menswear design and tailoring. His Spring-Summer 2025 collection introduced bolder colors and explored their use, featuring a white tunic-style shirt with vivid splashes of color. This direction continued in the Spring-Summer 2026 collection, which introduced floral patterns and softer silhouettes for the first time.
At the show, Mayner presented a cohesive and sensual collection for men and women. He paired a tartan-check dress with a rugged leather jacket, a chocolate-colored wool coat with a strong silhouette, and a light olive parka with a honey-toned fur collar worn with silver trousers. The core of the collection featured tailored garments, some deliberately distorted and broken apart, creating a sense of familiarity and unfamiliarity simultaneously.
One standout piece was a brown pantsuit that closed the show, with a jacket featuring inverted sleeves, creating a unique sense of movement. Another example was a pale sweatshirt constructed to mimic pleating at the hem. Mayner's collaboration with Reebok was also showcased, along with an accessories line featuring modular bags and chains made from leather and metal straps.
This week's show marked a strategic turning point for Mayner. The invitation from Pitti Uomo, traditionally associated with classic Italian menswear tailoring, signaled a willingness to embrace voices that challenge its foundational principles. The Rationalist architecture of the venue subtly echoed Mayner's aesthetic, where rigid structures express order and control, but his garments disrupt that expectation, offering freedom of movement instead.
