“I’m freezing. I’m burning,” sang the lyrics from Sophie during the finale of Niccolò Pasqualetti’s show, which continued the designer’s exploration of clothing’s ambiguous possibilities. Though we certainly weren’t freezing—my phone showed 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the maze-like outdoor venue near Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, leaving some audience members looking like they might melt.

The setting felt fitting. Pitti, housed in a fortress, remains menswear’s most formidable stronghold, while Pasqualetti’s past collections have appeared on womenswear schedules. Yet his work often blurs the lines between these gendered categories—perhaps best described as “themswear.”

Pasqualetti is unfazed by pronouns (he/they), and today’s lineup reflected that ease, featuring both male and female models in relaxed, boundary-pushing designs. Heavy linen dungarees, asymmetrically cut and splashed with paint, reimagined workwear with gathered detailing at the chest and a dramatic hip hem.

Cropped tank tops, silk shorts with skirt-like leg openings, laser-cut suede vests, denim shorts trimmed with tulle, deconstructed jackets turned into smocks, and leather bodices adorned male models. These unconventional pairings stood out more starkly than the women’s looks, though Pasqualetti seemed less interested in binary contrasts than in redefining dressing altogether. In Italian, “habito” means “I dress”—and many of these pieces seemed designed to inspire progressive dressers to rethink their wardrobe habits.

As Pasqualetti dismantled and reshaped fashion norms, he also nodded to the craftsmanship behind his process, with jewelry crafted from upcycled artisanal materials. While gender-defying designers aren’t new, Pasqualetti brings a fresh perspective to the conversation.