Emilio Pucci

Emilio Pucci, was born in Naples Italy in 1914, and was also known as the Marquis of Barsento. He spent two years at Milan University, before moving to the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, USA for a further two years of study.

Emilio Pucci made his first venture into fashion by designing the uniforms for a Ski team he was part of during the 1930's. Born into an aristocratic family in Italy, he was the first of the Puccis to actually choose to work in over 1,000 years. But he spared his family honour by signing his work only as "Emilio".

Returning to Italy, he spent the war years as a bomber in the Italian Air Force. He was awarded a doctorate in political science from the University of Florence in the year of 1941.

Pucci was also a keen sportsman and as a high school student, had been a member of the Italian Olympic ski team. After World War II, in 1947, he was photographed by Toni Frissell of Harper's Bazaar on the Italian ski slopes, wearing some ski pants of his own design. The magazine asked him to create some winter clothes for women, which it subsequently published and which was put on sale in some various New York shops.

In 1949, Pucci opened a boutique in Capri, selling the range of his interesting items. He introduced "Capri Pants" which were a spectacular success.

In 1951, the first fashion show took place in Florence. During the 1950's, Pucci gained some good reputation as a designer of brilliantly patterned sporting wear and relaxed daywear. He contributed to the success of post-war Italian fashion design. He used silk jersey for his dresses which were light weight, wrinkle free and so very comfortable. Diana Vreeland said it was like wearing nothing on at all.

In 1959, Emilio Pucci married Cristina Nannini, and their daughter Alessandro was born during the same year. Their second daughter Laudomia was born in 1961.

In 1962, Pucci's first haute couture collection was displayed, and he mentioned that it was primarily a homage to Jacqueline Kennedy.

In the 1960's Emilio Pucci produced the tapered trousers, Capri pants, shorts, resort dresses, silk blouses, shirts, slacks and casual suits. He also designed various ranges of underwear, sweaters and swimwear for US manufacturers. His clothes were known for their brilliant colours and well-defined prints. He is also known to have started the colour outburst of the 1960's.

Pucci's designs have today reached strange places. The Apollo 15 space crew carried a Pucci-designed flag for planting on the moon, and in 1977, Emilio Pucci designed the Lincoln Continental Mark IV for the Ford Motor Company.

In the 1970's, Pucci became a politician and was elected to the Italian parliament. He also began labeling and selling the wine produced on his estate in Chianti, which was owned by the Pucci family since the 13th century.

Between 1989-199o fashion then saw a turn towards Pucci prints again as celebrities such as Madonna and Paloma were photographed wearing his garments.

Emilio Pucci retired from active design work in 1990. On behalf of her father, his daughter received the Council of Fashion Designers of America Award in New York in 1991. The following year, the Costume Museum in the Palazzo Pitti in Forence displayed some of Pucci's most famous and beautiful pieces.

Emilio Pucci died in 1992 at the age of 78. His 30 year old son, the Marchese Alessandro Pucci di Barsento, took over the running of the family business and other estates. However, sadly, Alessandro was killed in a car accident in the year 2000 near Florence. For a while his sister Laudomia decided to handle the creative designing.

The house of Pucci still however goes on reviving the fashion house's glory days to make it relevant for the new generations., capitalizing on Pucci's bold, instantly recognizable prints.

The clothes which Emilio Pucci designed over the years are valued immensely and vintage gowns are always treasured.

The Pucci revival has been gathering momentum for several years. The Pucci family began launching new products to appear for the new fans. But finally, the company was sold to luxury goods conglomerate LVMH who also own Dior, Givenchy and several other houses.

In November 2000, LVMH president Arnault asked Puerto Rican designer Julio Espada to reconceive the Pucci clothing collection. Espada, in his Spring 2002 collection, showed plenty of pretty girly shorts, scarves and short and crisp cotton dresses.

Espada left Pucci in April 2002 to be replaced by well-known French designer Christian Lacroix who was named Artistic Director at Pucci.

Find fashion by Pucci @ the following eshop: