THE ARISTOCRATIC MARCHESE, THE FIGHTER-PILOT-WAR-HERO-TURNED FASHION-DESIGNER-TURNED POLITICIAN IS NO MORE, BUT THE LEGENDARY STATUS SYMBOL HE CREATED LIVES ON. THERE WAS A TIME(BEFORE THE PRICE OF GOLD WAS FREED) WHEN A PUCCI PRINTED SILK JERSEY DRESS COST MORE BY WEIGHT THAN GOLD AND NO FASHIONABLE JET-SETTER BOARDED A PLANE WITHOUT AT LEAST ONE PACKED IN HER LUGGAGE. IN THE SIXTIES PUCCI-GUCCI LED THE WAY FOR ALL THE BRAND NAMES PROUDLY DISPLAYED THAT FOLLOWED, BUT MANY PEOLPLE ARE NOT AWARE THAT PUCCI DID AS MUCH AS MARY QUANT FOR WOMEN IN HELPING TO FREE THEM FROM THEIR RIGID UNDERPINNINGS.

MARCHESE EMILIO PUCCI GREW UP IN PALAZZO PUCCI ON VIA DEI PUCCI AND AFTER THE WAR ATTENDED THE UNIVERSITY OF SEATTLE. IN 1947 A FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER FOR HARPER’S BAZAAR, TONO FRISELL, TOOK A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE HANDSOME ARITOCRAT AS HE WAS SKIING ON THE SLOPES OF ST.MORITZ AND WHEN THE EDITORS OF THE MAGAZINE PRINTED THAT HE HAD DESIGNED THE SLEEK SKIWEAR HE WAS WEARING HIMSELF, INQUIRIES FROM INTERESTED STORES POURED IN. INSPIRED BY THE BRIGHT FLAGS USED DURING THE PALIO IN NEARBY SIENA, PUCCI DESIGNED UNMISTAKABLE PRINTS USING COMBINATIONS OF BRIGHT AND PASTEL COLORS AND GEOMETRIC SHAPES ON SILK JERSEY AND FASHIONED THEM INTO DRESSES THAT FLATTERED THE FEMALE FIGURE. THE DRESSES WERE LIGHT AND VERSATILE AND THE INTERNATIONAL NOMADS WHO STARTED JET-SETTING IN THE EARLY SIXTIES FOUND THAT THEY COULD PACK A LOT OF OUTFITS BY PUCCI IN JUST ONE SUITCASE.

PRETTY SOON PUCCI PRINTS APPEARED EVERYWHERE, ON SHOES, PURSES, LUGGAGE, BILLFOLDS, BATHING SUITS, NIGHTGOWNS, BRAS AND BIKINI UNDERPANTS. PUCCI EVEN PRODUCED PERFUMED STATIONARY. WHEN BRANIFF INVITED HIM TO DESIGN UNIFORMS FOR THEIR FLIGHT ATTENDANTS HE INVENTED AN ORIGINAL APPROACH THAT INCLUDED A PLASTIC HELMET TO PRESERVE THE WOMEN’S HAIRDOS AND BOOKINGS ON BRANIFF SHOT UP. THE APOLLO 15 CREW CARRIED A PUCCI-DESIGNED FLAG TO THE MOON.

IN THE SEVENTIES PUCCI WAS ELECTED TO THE ITALIAN PARLIAMENT AND HE ALSO BEGAN LABELING AND SELLING THE WINE PRODUCED ON HIS ESTATE IN CHIANTI, OWNED BY THE PUCCI FAMILY SINCE THE 13th CENTURY.

“PRINCE OF THE PRINTS” AND CFDA-AWARD WINNER EMILIO PUCCI IGNED THE LINE HIMSELF UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1992. HIS DAUGHTER, LAUDOMIA PUCCI, THEN TOOK THE REIGNS, BEFORE PASSING THEM ALONG TO A STRING OF YOUNG DESIGNERS INCLUDING, IN 2000, JULIO ESPADA; CRITICS FELT ESPADA OVER-EMBELLISHED THE CUTS, DETRACTING FROM THE JOYFUL SIGNATURE PATTERNS .IN 2003, CHRISTIAN LACROIX WAS BROUGHT ON AS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR- A GOOD MATCH CONSIDERING HIS MASTERY OF COLOR AND AFFECTION FOR SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES STYLING. LAUDOMIA PUCCI CONTINUES TO SERVE AS IMAGE DIRECTOR.