All of Milan seems to be on a 1970s trip, but the fringe, gossamer goddess gowns, and hippie beading we've seen on the runways here have been in Peter Dundas' bag of tricks since the beginning at Emilio Pucci. On the penultimate day of fashion week, it's safe to say that he does them better than anyone. He certainly injects them with more sex appeal. Need convincing? Click to Anna Ewers in a beaded macramé minidress and suede boots. See what we mean?
Dundas understands the value of power casting; he had Naomi Campbell in his lineup for the first time today. ("What took you so long?" she ribbed him at dinner later.) Ogling the models is understandable enough—they're mere inches from your eyeballs at the Palazzo Serbelloni venue. But if you do, you might miss the artisanal details that Dundas has made as much a contemporary Pucci signature as the Florentine house's famous archival prints.
Ewers' macramé dress was originally embroidered on tulle, later removed so that only the tracery of beads remained. The embroidered flowers and studs on a sharply tailored pink suede blazer also dazzled, and if the tie-dye tent dresses looked like the real thing, that's because the prints were based on get-your-hands-dirty trial and error.
Slick tailoring provided a strong counterpoint to this season's artisanship. A tangerine orange flared pantsuit worn with a burgundy crocheted tank will remain seared in our memory for some time. Ultimately, though, Dundas zeroed in on precisely what women come to Pucci for. The finale series of printed goddess dresses was lush and gorgeous, the best of all suspended from bejeweled metal bib necklaces.
