At Pitti Uomo the brands on show this summer were taking new directions and exhibiting strong and innovative products.

It takes 33-year-old bespoke shoemaker Hidetaka Fukaya six months to handcraft one pair of plain-toed Oxfords.

When he spied macho men hoisting his women’s totes over their shoulders, Gabrielecorto Moltedo decided it was time to launch a men’s line.

It may not grab the headlines like the catwalk shows but Florence's Pitti Uomo fair is where big deals are made and clothes we might actually wear are previewed.

Menswear sales are still recovering from a dip in 2005, but this season's Pitti Uomo was attended by 21,000 buyers with significant growth in eastern European and Indian markets. And its fashions were similarly forward looking.

The s/s 2007 Sella Satchel seems to be something special.