Emilio Pucci, Marchese di Barsento (; 20 November 1914 – 29 November 1992) was an Italian aristocrat, fashion designer and politician. He and his eponymous company Pucci designed geometric prints in many colors.

Early life

Pucci was born in Naples in 1914 to the Pucci family, and he lived and worked in the Pucci Palace in Florence for much of his life.

At the age of 17 Pucci traveled to Lake Placid, New York, as part of the Italian team at the 1932 Winter Olympics, where he did not compete. After two years at the University of Milan, In 1935, he was given a full scholarship to Reed College in Oregon in return for developing a college ski team. He earned an MA in social science from Reed College in 1937,

World War II

In 1938, Pucci joined the Italian Air Force, and served as an SM.79 torpedo bomber pilot during World War II, rising to the rank of captain

| area_served = Worldwide

| key_people = Camille Miceli, Artistic Director

| industry = Fashion

| products = Clothing, homewares

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| revenue = €60.1 million (2012)

| owner = LVMH

| num_employees =

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| homepage = www.pucci.com

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The first clothes designed by Pucci were for the Reed College skiing team. Although there had been some experiments with stretch fabrics in Europe before the war, Pucci's sleek designs caused a sensation, and he received several offers from American manufacturers to produce them.

Pucci added a boutique in Rome as business thrived, helped by Capri's role as a destination for the international jet set. By the early 1950s, Pucci was achieving international recognition, receiving the Neiman-Marcus Award in Dallas and the Burdines Sunshine Award in Miami. Marilyn Monroe was photographed by George Barris in a number of Pucci's items. After Monroe's death in 1962, she was interred wearing a Pucci dress. Pucci was commissioned by Braniff International Airways to design uniforms in 1968 and again in 1972. His print designs in acid yellow, lime green, turquoise, and pink captured the expressed 1960s psychedelia.

thumb|left|upright|1970s Emilio Pucci [[cocktail dress sold at Frederick & Nelson in Seattle]]

As the decade progressed, his designs were worn by everyone from actress Sophia Loren to author Jacqueline Susann to First Lady Jackie Kennedy, as well as later pop icons, such as Madonna, during an early 1990s period of 60s revival. Whenever the Sixties were revived in fashion, Pucci was likely to be referenced. In fashion history, especially during the period of the 1950s and 1960s, Pucci was a perfect transition example between luxurious couture and ready-to-wear in Europe and the North America.

In 1959, Pucci decided to create a lingerie line. His atelier in Rome advised him to develop the line abroad, avoiding the difficulties of a decade earlier in matching available fabrics to the patterns of his first swimwear line. 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.

In February 1959, he married Cristina Nannini from Rome, about whom he later remarked, "I married a Botticelli." They had two children, Alessandro and Laudomia. Alessandro died in a car crash in 1998, six years after his father.

Braniff Airways, NASA, and Lincoln

In 1965, New York ad agency Jack Tinker and Associates was hired by Braniff International Airways to update their image. The agency's Mary Wells hired Alexander Girard to remodel the terminals, and Pucci to design new clothes for the hostesses.

Pucci designed six complete collections for Braniff hostesses, pilots and ground crew between 1965 and 1974. By 1968 Barbie had versions of all of his first four uniforms.

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Pucci suggested the three bird motif for the design of the Apollo 15 mission patch. a Mark V from 1977 to 1979, and a Mark VI from 1980 to 1983, the details of the design changing slightly each year.

Political career

Pucci contested the Florence–Pistoia district for the Italian Liberal Party in the Italian election of April 1963. He came second on their slate with 2,780 votes behind it:Vittorio Fossombroni, and the party won one seat. He succeeded Fossombroni in the Italian Chamber of Deputies in August of that year. in which he was the district's top PLI candidate with 4,231 votes.

Pucci label

thumb|upright=0.8|Pucci skirt and dress, 2007.

After Emilio Pucci's death in 1992, his daughter, Laudomia Pucci, continued to design under the Pucci name. The French LVMH luxury goods empire acquired 67% of Pucci in 2000.

Emilio Pucci clothes and accessories are sold through Emilio Pucci and Rossignol boutiques worldwide, and in high-end department stores designed by . The items 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.

Pucci boutiques in the U.S., all designed by the Brazilian , are located in New York City, Las Vegas, Bal Harbour, Palm Beach, Beverly Hills, Boston, South Coast Plaza, East Hampton, New York, Miami and coming soon to Dallas. The newest of the stores just opened at 855 Monroe Ave. in New York City.

Clients include singer Kylie Minogue and presenter Alexa Chung.

Pucci also designed the costumes for Rita Ora's Radioactive Tour. In March 2014, Alessandra Carra stepped down as CEO of Pucci. In March 2015, Massino Giorgetti was named creative director, replacing Peter Dundas. Then from 2017 to 2021, Pucci operated without a creative director, relying on a team of designers. In September 2021, Camille Miceli became creative director of Pucci. In July 2022, Saar Debrouwere took over as CEO of the fashion house.

References

  • Pucci since 1948—Photos of Pucci designs through time, including Poppi de Salis wearing one of the original skirts
  • Pucci 2000–2007—Photos of some recent Pucci designs