East Market Returns to Florence: 100+ Vintage Vendors at Manifattura Tabacchi
Some people come looking for a pair of ’90s Levi’s, some never stopped buying vinyl, and some can spot a design lamp even under a layer of dust. Then there are those who show up looking for nothing at all and end up going home with something they didn’t even know existed five minutes earlier.
That’s part of the fun of a vintage market: never knowing exactly what you’ll find.
On October 24 and 25, 2026, Florence once again hosts East Market, the project born in Milan eleven years ago that has become a fixture for lovers of fashion, collecting, design and second-hand culture. After its Florentine debut, the market returns to the MOTEL spaces inside Manifattura Tabacchi, bringing more than 100 vendors from all over Italy to the city.
Two days to browse thousands of objects, rediscover forgotten styles and maybe give a second life to something that has already lived one.
From the 1950s to the 2000s: vintage to wear
Clothing is still the heart of East Market. Among the stalls you’ll find original pieces from the 1950s to the early 2000s, in a selection that spans different eras and subcultures.
Denim, military jackets, varsity jackets, streetwear, designer accessories, sneakers and collector’s items sit alongside more everyday finds, picked by specialist shops and private collectors.
There will also be a special focus on customization and upcycling, practices that turn existing clothes and materials into new objects, extending their life and making room for creativity.
Among the announced vendors is Raffaele Iorio, a Neapolitan collector specializing in vintage eyewear from the 1950s to today, with frames by Versace, Dior, Fendi, Ray-Ban and Persol.
From Milan comes Spaghettochild Research, with a selection of ’80s and ’90s clothing and a particular eye for skate culture.
Design, old ads and objects that tell the story of other eras
East Market doesn’t stop at the closets of the past. A big part of the event is devoted to vintage design, furnishings and collectibles.
Between industrial-style furniture and home décor, icons of 20th-century design, books, comics, posters, prints and magazines, the route also takes in the graphics and advertising of bygone days.
From Florence comes Barbara Gosi, who will bring a selection of original vintage advertisements made between the 1920s and the 1990s, salvaged and restored.
Posters, images and the language of advertising become small records of how taste, consumption and the way products were sold have changed.
It’s exactly this variety that makes the East Market formula interesting: in the same space you can go from an ’80s sports jacket to a design object, from an old comic book to an advertising print that looks like it came out of another Florence.
Vinyl, musical rarities and an old-school MTV
For music lovers, the area devoted to vinyl and CDs is back, curated by Livorno collector Fabio Rossi.
The selection will include first pressings and rarities, from rock to jazz, from electronic to classical music, by way of ska and hip-hop.
But this year there’s also a different way to travel back in time.
In the movie theater at Manifattura Tabacchi, East TV comes to life: a kind of vintage MTV playing music videos nonstop.
From Michael Jackson’s Thriller to Britney Spears’ …Baby One More Time, by way of Outkast’s Hey Ya!: a trip down memory lane of pop culture, through songs, images and music videos that shaped different generations.
Admission to East TV is free.
A weekend of shopping, music and reuse culture
East Market’s philosophy is summed up in its motto: “Everything Old Is New Again.”
Behind the hunt for clothes and objects from the past there’s also a reflection on how we consume today. Salvaging, restoring, transforming and putting things back into circulation means rescuing still-usable products from throwaway culture.
It’s a sensibility that in recent years has brought vintage out of its niche, drawing in new generations and becoming part of the shopping habits of an ever-wider public.
Alongside the stalls, the weekend comes with music selections and DJ sets, while Bar Ventura, inspired by the Italian bars of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, will serve drinks and coffee.
For a break, there are also the various food options at Manifattura Tabacchi.
East Market Florence: dates, hours and tickets
Two days to travel through decades of fashion, music and design without leaving Florence. And a reminder that sometimes the most interesting things to discover are the ones someone had already put aside.
