Cos forays into Pitti Uomo for the first time with a choreographed show

The adage goes that fashion is art. But if it’s up to Cos, that could very well extend to performance art. The Swedish label will be taking part in Italian menswear show Pitti Uomo for the first time through choreography to showcase its Soma capsule collection.

The brand is most known for its modern and functional garments inspired by art and design, and the Soma capsule collection is no different. Soma will be a menswear collection centred around basic essentials with freedom of movement in mind.

“Soma really explores what essential menswear means for us at Cos and every detail has been designed with the movement of the wearer in mind,” said Cos head of menswear Christophe Copin.

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To fully showcase the form and function of Soma, Cos has collaborated with British choreographer Wayne McGregor to conceive a dance performance which will be presented during Pitti Uomo 94 in Florence this June. The choreography will put the collection into movement by focusing on the subtle, routine gestures associated with menswear. “We will create a specifically commissioned work by subverting these everyday gestures alongside the designs,” said McGregor.

The Soma capsule collection marks COS’ first collaborative foray into dance or choreographed art. More interestingly, Pitti Uomo has most commonly been associated with traditional menswear tailoring even as recent years have seen buyers and consumers on both sides of the fashion spectrum donning suits that are increasingly flamboyant.

Unsurprisingly, fashion brands are also becoming more creative with their methods of runway shows. This season during Paris Fashion Week, Chanel transformed the Grand Palais into a mythical forest, while at London Fashion Week Burberry collaborated with United Visual Artists (UVA) for a light-spectacle runway show.

The Cos performance will be live-streamed on Cosstores.com.