In 1948 Emilio Pucci, a skier
himself, designed a line of ski clothes for the American sportswear
company White Stag. The next year he opened his first boutique on the
Italian island of Capri. His design house, Emilio of Capri, was
established in 1950 and was located on Capri, Italy, and later in
Florence, Italy, with boutiques in Rome, Elba, and Montecatini.
Pucci designed
fabrics for the swimwear house, Rose Marie Reid, in the late 1950s/early
1960s. In 1960 he formed a relationship with Formfit Rogers, designing
lingerie and at-home wear made from nylon tricot. By the 1960s his
signature look reigned as the ultimate status symbol for the decade. In
the late 1960s he designed the uniforms for the stewardesses of Braniff
International Airline. In 1968 he began designing menswear for
Ermenegildo Zegna.
Pucci is known
for his fanciful and psychedelic prints, especially in silk knit and in
cotton velvet. His prints are signed "Emilio", rather than "Pucci".
Emilio Pucci died in 1992, and his daughter Laudomia Pucci took charge
of the company. From 2002 -2005, the collections were designed by
Christian Lacroix. Starting with the Fall 2006 collection, the designer
was Matthew Williamson. He was replaced by Peter Dundas in October,
2008.
