US Polo Assn. soul Santa Croce in Florence

On the occasion of Pitti Uomo, US Polo Assn. organized a match for the veterans of Calcio Storico in Piazza Santa Croce, followed by the Firenze Polo Tribute, a friendly polo match between Italy and France. «It was the first time that a polo match was played in the ancient square, and it was an honor for us to bring our sport to such an important setting, preceded by Calcio Storico, a Florentine tradition not to be missed» declared J. Michael Prince, Global CEO of US Polo Assn, together with Lorenzo Nencini, CEO of Incom, the Tuscan company that produces and distributes the American brand under license for Europe.

Prince said that “as the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA) we are proud to be the primary promoter of the 2024 Firenze Polo Tribute, with the Italian and French national teams wearing custom US Polo Assn team jerseys. double horsemen performance. Respect for tradition and love for a sport’s history, its roots and heritage have particular meaning for us as the history of polo dates back over 2000 years. This event was a wonderful opportunity to pay homage to the history of Florence. And it was an honor to play polo on the same ground as Calcio Storico, which represents a much-loved city tradition, in front of thousands of Florentine fans. Our partnership amplifies the sharing of our values ​​and passion for sport”.

After Florence, there are other important events on the managers’ agenda, always connected to the world of polo, such as the America-France friendly match which will be held in Chantilly during the next Olympics and the Sotogrande tournament – one of the most important in Europe – in August.

This edition of Pitti confirms itself as a success for Nencini, which updates FashionNetwork.com on the brand’s progress and shows the new collections. “We closed 2023 very well because our growth was healthy and occurred on all channels: thanks to the mix of online, wholesale and retail sales we went from 53 million in 2022 to 65 in 2023. For 2024 I foresee a substantial breakeven, I think it is normal for growth to slow down in a moment like this, of generalized suffering in the fashion sector”, explains Nencini.

The brand, which generates 30% of its European turnover in Italy alone, has planned important retail projects: the opening of 4 new stores (3 direct and 1 franchised) in Northern Italy and Malta, which are added to the current 26 Italian stores (of which 16 are direct). Nencini aims to open in Madrid and, also in relation to the collection offering, is evaluating new openings in France, specifically on the French Riviera.

The Pitti stand welcomes us with the new men’s and women’s collections for SS25 with garments that do not forget the sportswear origins of the brand, but skilfully combine this strong and rooted soul of its imagery with proposals, especially for women, that offer a more leisurely touch to outfits. The color palettes are designed to enhance the nobility of the natural fibers used, but also to celebrate summer. More bold colors are added to the neutral and natural shades, the washed blue shades are enriched with a touch of Flag red. Great research into materials focuses on the quality and excellence of the fibers and attention to natural aspects (for example with the introduction of organic hemp jersey, mineral garment dyed with vegetable dyes). The Tailored capsule underlines the accuracy of the workmanship in combination with the materials used while the Authentic line wants to celebrate the heritage of the brand revisited in a modern and vintage key. There are so many collection moods and, for the women’s line, many special and unexpected details such as crochet and hand embroidery made with pearls and corals in relief.