Milan's Fausto Puglisi landed on the Italian scene a couple of years ago and quickly made his name with lavish gilt and rhinestone embroideries. And so, it was fairly remarkable that his first-ever Pre-Fall collection shown in New York today was utterly devoid of them. Instead, Puglisi put the emphasis on graphic prints and electric shades of purple, mint, and tomato red. It was as punchy as ever. The mint and red made a particularly potent color combination.
Puglisi is keen to appeal to both a "conservative, polished lady" and what he calls "the new generation," so the lineup ranged from coats and dresses vaguely Cristobal-ian in their egg-shaped silhouettes to thigh-grazing leather miniskirts and faded jean jackets built "for Cara Delevingne." For every lavish jacquard piece—"I'm obsessed with fabric," he said—there was another in animal-spot denim. Crinoline-lined flaring minis (wear them sans netting for a more down-to-earth look) shared the racks with graceful bias-cut gowns. Puglisi's versatility will serve him well on the retail floor. He reports that he just landed Bergdorf Goodman.
