Emilio Pucci Was Born In Naples

Emilio Pucci was born in Naples, Florence on November 20th, 1914. He was born into one of Florence’s most honorable families. Pucci grew up in the family home popularly referred to as Palazzo Pucci, an architectural gem and at the heart of Florence. The palace had been built in the 1550’s and the family lineage had resided in it since (Florence Travel Guide: Palzzo Pucci). Pucci had a very impressive “resume” he was very well educated and well-traveled after he attended a number of colleges. He was an air force pilot, Olympic skier, and an aristocrat. When Pucci was 17 he traveled with the Italian skiing team to the Winter Olympics, although he did not compete it is still an impressive accomplishment, especially at 17. He originally studied at the University of Milan for two years before he made the move to the United States where he then studied agriculture at the University of Georgia. In 1935 he won a skiing scholarship to Reed College in Oregon, there he earned a Masters in social science, and even earned a doctorate in political science at the University of Florence all in the same year. (About Emilio Pucci).

Pucci then became a torpedo bomber pilot during World War II in the Italian Air Force, after the war he resided in Switzerland where he made his income by teaching Italian and even giving ski lessons. Pucci had worked with stretch fabrics before when he first designed clothes for the ski team while at Reed College. While teaching ski lessons in Zurmatt, his own ski design which he initially created for himself and then friends, gained popular attention and was photographed by a fashion photographer and then published in Haper’s Bazaar (About Emilio Pucci). This opened the door for the Italian designer and turned out to be just the beginning for the fashion sensation.

He set up his workshop in his family’s home; Palazzo Pucci. Here he began to work with talented fabric manufacturers to explore more with stretch fabrics he wanted to create a fabric that wasn’t as heavy or rigid. This was very important to him, he wanted women to feel liberated and have the freedom of movement on their side. Pucci opened his first boutique on the Island of Capri, it was named La Canzone Del Mare (About Emilio Pucci). The boutique held elegant yet wearable sportswear that included items such as sandals, striped jersey tops and capris pants all items were designed with vibrant colors that emphasized the Island of Capri and its beauty. He created a swimwear line where he used his knowledge with ski stretch fabrics and eventually moved on to silk scarves and blouses.

It wasn’t until the 50’s that Pucci began creating his popular signature prints. The prints were graphic, abstract designs that were created simply by the world he saw around him (Pucci ). The international fashion press was taken by his daring approach, much different than had ever been seen before. They crowned him as “The Prince of Prints” and that he was, each print was his own piece of artwork, he signed each of his prints with “Emilio” (About Emilio Pucci). The colors of each print were intensely vibrant, he drew his inspiration from the Mediterranean, its natural landscapes, and from exotic locations he had previously traveled to (Pucci ). He quickly achieved a high status when his haute couture garments were popular among many celebrities. Marilyn Monroe became a fan and would wear his designs in some of her photographs. His designs were being worn by Jackie Kennedy, Princess Grace of Monaco, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and later on even Madonna.

Pucci used his design talent for other non-fashion developments that included things such as futuristic airline uniforms, and even a logo for a space mission. One of the popular futuristic airline pieces he modernized was a “bubble helmet”, which was a clear plastic hood worn by flight attendants between the terminal buildings and the aircraft to protect their hairdos from the rain and the blast of the jet engines. His logo for the space mission, Apollo 15 was a bird motif design for the patches that would be worn (Emilio Pucci: Universe of Fashion). With Pucci’s social and political science background he became elected in 1965 as a member of the Italian Parliament.

Pucci married Cristina Nannini from Rome and they had two children, Alessandro and Laudomia (Emilio Pucci). As his daughter Laudomia grew up she became more involved with her father’s business. Pucci passed away in 1992 and Laudomia ended up taking over and continued designing under his name. The Emilio Pucci brand has continued to evolve throughout the years, it has built up a global network and now includes over 50 boutiques (Emilio Pucci). Emilio Pucci created a brand that today is widely known for its signature psychedelic “groovy” prints, its vibrant color palettes and the high luxury of the brand making women feel comfortable and elegant.