Feisty and fun, the Pucci Pre-Fall collection paid homage to Pop Art; Andy Warhol; and his leggy muse, Edie Sedgwick. In fact, the design team was so charmed by her unconventional élan that her face was Pucci-fied into an artsy new print.
Built as a believable wardrobe covering all possible occasions, the lineup exuded an idiosyncratic energy. Colors popped and patterns clashed, yet it was a balanced effervescence, kept in check with Florentine savoir faire and a sense of modern, practical ease. Tailoring had pride of place, glamorized and dashing. Case in point was a pantsuit in a shade of buttercup, the blazer sharply cut and elongated, the pants high-waisted and cropped. The Pucci treatment came in the form of contrasting lace piping running all along the sleeves and on the pants’ sides. Outerwear was also given a jolt of cheerfulness; a duvet quilted coat was printed on the front in bright shades of turquoise, blue, and green, while its back and sleeves were black thanks to a huge fox collar that was so extensive it was almost a capelet. Its urban practicality was turned upside down by a quirky pair of cropped pants with a hugely ruffled hem.
In keeping with Pucci tradition, eccentric touches abounded. Printed stretchy leggings were worn with chunky cashmere sweaters, while a mauve Prince of Wales blazer was paired with a chiffon blouse and straight, cropped pants printed with an ebullient, slightly bonkers leopard motif. The cherry on the cake was an evening pajama palazzo in luscious emerald green velvet, graced with a floral motif inspired by Botticelli’s famous painting La Primavera, one of the treasures exhibited at Florence’s Uffizi Museum. The homage made perfect sense: One of Botticelli’s exquisite paintings has been in the Pucci family for generations, hung in their historic palazzo with chic nonchalance as if it were commonplace.
