Emilio Pucci, mind-blowing fashion.
Emilio Pucci ready-to-wear is recognisable by its elegant, psychedelic style. The Italian designer drew inspiration from his many travels and his passion for art to create colourful and flamboyant collections. His creations full of contrasts and bearing graphic prints made him an iconic designer in the 1960s, when he was responsible for chic sportswear becoming the latest trend.
The invention of chic sportswear.
The Marquis Emilio Pucci di Barsento founded the house of the same name in 1947 in Capri and presented his very first collection in the Pitti Palace in Florence. In the beginning, he used lots of black and white to create his laid-back yet elegant lines. Somewhere along the way, intense colours and beautiful prints became prominent features of his creations and came to define him as an avant garde designer. His clothes were idolised by the whole of the jet set and Emilio Pucci, the designer, was very quick to receive international acclaim. Crowned the "Prince of Prints', this Italian aesthete dressed glamourous, feminine women, and ladies everywhere were captivated by his designs.
Emilio Pucci designs did not stop at ready-to-wear. The couturier very quickly decided to diversify his lines and made a foray into lingerie, shoes, interior design and bags. Pucci leather goods are defined by graphic detail, a retro palette of colours and prints with ethnic inspirations. The leather tote-format bag called Pilot will always be a flagship piece of the collection.
Pucci's new era.
For a period of twenty years, Emilio Pucci reigned supreme in the world of fashion, but the House went through a bad patch in the very early 1980s. The founder died in 1992 and his daughter Laudomia Pucci took over at the helm of the company. The brand would only emerge phoenix-like from the ashes at the start of the new millennium. The LVMH group having bought a majority share, the House of Emilio Pucci returned to the front of the fashion scene thanks to the couturier Christian Lacroix who took over as artistic director in 2002. Since then, the brand's iconic prints, which can be seen on pullovers, dresses and shirts, are still taking pride of place and keeping those tongues wagging. In April 2017, the House found itself without a creative director further to the departure of Massimo Giorgetti. At the time of the pop-up exhibition in the legendary Pitti Palace in Florence in June 2018, the position of artistic director was still vacant.
Despite a history fraught with pitfalls, the House of Emilio Pucci has succeeded in protecting its identity over the decades and continues to draw admiration for its visionary and audacious designs. Emilio Pucci collections have been behind iconic pieces, such as: