Born in 1914 to one of Florence's most illustrious families, the Marquis Emilio Pucci di Barsento naturally embodied the jet set glamour of post-war Italy. Multilingual, well-travelled, American-educa...
Born in 1914 to one of Florence's most illustrious families, the Marquis Emilio Pucci di Barsento naturally embodied the jet set glamour of post-war Italy. Multilingual, well-travelled, American-educated, air force pilot, Olympic skier and aristocrat – he was a Renaissance man in every sense of the term. Recovering in Switzerland after the war, and with the Italian economy in ruins, Pucci made ends meet by teaching Italian and giving ski lessons in Zermatt. It was there that in 1947 a streamlined ski outfit he designed, initially for himself and then for his enthusiastic socialite friends was photographed by a fashion photographer and published in Harper's Bazaar USA, giving rise to a fashion phenomenon that continues to reverberate to this day. Pucci was driven by the desire to liberate women, granting them unprecedented freedom of movement. It was during the ‘50s that Pucci began developing his signature prints: graphic, abstract designs inspired by the world around him – Sicilian mosaics, heraldic banners, Bali Batiks, and African motifs. Each print was like a work of art born upon a silk canvas, framed with a decorative border and signed in the artist's name – "Emilio". In the 1980s Emilio's daughter, Laudomia Pucci, became increasingly more involved in her father's business, ultimately taking the reins following his passing in 1992. In April 2000, an alliance was formed between the Pucci family and LVMH, with the French luxury group. The brand has soared on the international fashion stage and in a relatively short time has built up a global network that now includes over 50 boutiques. In March 2015 the Italian designer Massimo Giorgetti was appointed Creative Director. Working out of the company headquarters in Palazzo Pucci in Florence, he carries on the trailblazing vision of founder Emilio through his ready-to-wear and accessories collections, as well as through special projects.