‘Unexpected Pucci’ looks at the brand’s style beyond fashion.
Courtesy of Rizzoli. © Unexpected Pucci edited by Laudomia Pucci, text by Suzy Menkes, Angelo Flaccavento. Rizzoli New York, 2019.
Emilio Pucci’s swirling, dazzlingly colored prints became a symbol of jet-set pizzazz in the 50s and 60s, with a clientele of celebrities and contessas filling their closets and Vuitton trunks with the label’s palazzo pyjamas, dresses, scarves, ski clothes and swimwear. Pucci was 20th-century Florence’s answer to the Renaissance man, excelling across disciplines, his accomplishments ranging from sport (he was on Italy’s Olympic ski team) and car racing to academia (he earned a doctorate from the University of Florence). But his greatest renown came from the world of fashion and design, where he was known unofficially as the “prince of prints,” although as the scion of a storied aristocratic Florentine family he held a real title, too—Marchese di Barsento.
Laudomia Pucci.
Courtesy of Rizzoli. © Unexpected Pucci edited by Laudomia Pucci, text by Suzy Menkes, Angelo Flaccavento. Rizzoli New York, 2019.
The brilliance of Pucci beyond his notable fashion achievements, along with the far-reaching brand he developed and his daughter Laudomia continues to grow, is chronicled in a new book, Unexpected Pucci, published by Rizzoli New York for an October release. Written and curated by Laudomia Pucci, with texts by Vogue International editor, Suzy Menkes, journalist Angelo Flaccavento, architect and designer Piero Lissoni, and artists Francesco Vezzoli and Joana Vasconcelos, the book shows how Pucci’s inimitable patterns translated seamlessly into other realms, and when utilized in decor and for decorative objects, led to the creation of artifacts that were both strikingly modern, yet somehow looked as much at home in ancient palazzi as they did in sleek, contemporary settings.
Emilio Pucci, Marchese di Barsento (1914-1992), on the roof of his palazzo in Florence. (Photo by Gianni GIANSANTI/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
And Pucci certainly knew about ancient palazzi, having grown up in one in the heart of his native city. In Unexpected Pucci, Laudomia Pucci writes how her father would say to American clients that while his family hadn’t changed its address in over 600 years, he saw as his challenge to find ways “not to honor history, but to give it wings and project it into the future.”
A Pucci-designed rug.
Courtesy of Rizzoli. © Unexpected Pucci edited by Laudomia Pucci, text by Suzy Menkes, Angelo Flaccavento. Rizzoli New York, 2019.
Pucci for Rosenthal.
Courtesy of Rizzoli. © Unexpected Pucci edited by Laudomia Pucci, text by Suzy Menkes, Angelo Flaccavento. Rizzoli New York, 2019.
As Pucci’s fabrics, frequently inspired by Italian settings like Florence, Capri and Ischia, and fashions captivated the style world, he moved his label away from the runway (and eventually onto airport runways when he designed uniforms for Braniff), finding ways to interpret his distinct patterns in other mediums, and working in partnerships with top design and lifestyle firms, a tradition that Laudomia continues to this day. Pucci created rugs so beautiful you wanted to hang them as tapestries rather than walk on them; designed vibrant porcelains made in conjunction with Rosenthal; and gave the humble terrycloth fabric an amazing new chic in a partnership with Springmaid. More recent collaborations have included Bisazza for mosaics—you could have a Pucci-design tiled in your swimming pool—and with Cappellini and Kartell for cool, stylish furniture, all of which are included in the 224-page book.
Kartell’s Madame chair, designed by Philippe Strack, with Pucci print.
Courtesy of Rizzoli. © Unexpected Pucci edited by Laudomia Pucci, text by Suzy Menkes, Angelo Flaccavento. Rizzoli New York, 2019.
Pucci said he felt gaiety was one of the most important elements he brought to fashion, something he clearly achieved with his genius sense of color. In an era where so much interior design is locked in neutral (tones), it is great to see how his dynamic designs contributed and continue to add so much richness, elan and delight to living environments.
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