Emilio Pucci

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Emilio Pucci, Marchese di Barsento (November 20, 1914 – 1992) was an Italian fashion designer.

1 Fashion career
2 Political career
3 Pucci brand
4 External links
5 References

[edit] Fashion career

Born in Naples, Italy, the son of an Italian marchese, Pucci studied in both Italy and the USA, eventually gaining a doctorate in political science in 1941. Pucci was a member of the Italian olympic ski team of 1934, and in 1935 won a skiing scholarship to Reed College in Oregon. He first ventured into clothing design at Reed by creating the ski team's uniforms. He graduated from Reed with the class of 1937, after also studying at the University of Georgia.

In 1947 he was photographed by Toni Frissell, a photographer working for Harper's Bazaar, wearing skiwear Pucci had designed himself. Upon learning this, Frissell's editor asked Pucci to design skiwear for a story on European Winter Fashion, which ran in the winter 1948 issue of the Bazaar

The exposure encouraged him to create and sell clothes for women, and he opened a Haute couture house in 1950 on the Isle of Capri and also expanded with a couture location in Rome. Pucci became well known for his signature use of bright colours, bold patterns, and striking designs. Popular early creations were a line of wrinkle-free printed silk dresses. By the mid 50's, Pucci was honored internationally, receiving the Neiman-Marcus Award in Dallas and the Burdine's Sunshine Award in Miami. In 1959, Pucci decided to create a lingerie line. He was advised by his Roman atelier to develop the line abroad, avoiding the pitfalls associated with his first swimwear collection of 1949 which had difficulties in matching his colored patterns to the available fabrics. As a result, Pucci came to Chicago giving the lingerie contract to Formfit-Rogers mills. The venture proved to be successful, and Pucci was made vice president in charge of design and merchandising for the company a year later. 1959 was also a seminal year for Pucci since it was the year that he met Baronessa Cristina Nannini, a Roman baroness introduced to Pucci at his boutique in Capri. Pucci would later marry her, claiming: "I married a Botticelli". ^[1]

From 1954 to 1968 Pucci also designed stewardess uniforms for Braniff Airlines. These avant-garde creations were designed as individual components to be added or removed as weather dictated. The uniforms included turtlenecks, t-shirts, crop jackets and culottes.^[2] Among the more unusual innovations was a "bubble helmet" — a clear plastic hood worn by flight attendants between terminal building and aircraft to protect their hairdos from rain and the blast of jet engines.^[3]^[4] He suggested the three bird motif for the design of the Apollo 15 mission patch.

Image:Apollo 15-insignia.png

[edit] Political career

In addition to his life of fashion, Pucci was elected to the Italian Parliament.

While a Member of Parliament, Pucci was hired by New York ad agency Jack Tinker and Associates to re-design the hostess wardrobes for Braniff International Airways. Pucci would end up designing seven complete outfits for Braniff hostesses, pilots and ground crew between 1965 and 1977. Pucci incorporated Alexander Girard's "BI" logo into some of his prints.

[edit] Pucci brand

After his death in 1992 his daughter, Laudomia Pucci, continued to design under the Pucci name.

The Pucci brand was revived by the French firm Louis Vuitton-Moet-Hennessy Group, who acquired the rights in 2000. Designers who have worked under the Pucci brand include Stephan Janson, Julio Espada and Christian Lacroix. In 2006, British designer, Matthew Williamson replaced Lacroix as creative director. Laudomia Pucci continues to serve as the Image Director.

Emilio Pucci clothes and accessories are sold through Emilio Pucci and Rossignol boutiques worldwide and in high-end department stores, mostly feature the designer's original brightly coloured, often swirly, prints or new designs in his original distinct style. The fashion house produces ready-to-wear clothes and accessories for women, in addition to a small range of men's accessories. In the past, the house has produced a more comprehensive range of men's wear, including a line in partnership with Ermenegildo Zegna, which included men's jackets lined with Pucci printed fabric, especially for American department store Saks Fifth Avenue.

A limited-edition Pucci carrying case for the PlayStation Portable handheld gaming system was marketed by Sony as a high-end accessory on their PlayStation Signature line. The case has since sold out. ^[5]

Pucci boutiques in the U.S. are located in New York, Bal Harbour, Palm Beach, Beverly Hills, Boston, South Coast Plaza, and Las Vegas.