Journal of Business Vol. 14, No. 3, pp.64~74(2010)

A Study on the Fashion Design of Emilio Pucci - Focusing on the 1960s -

Oh Yunjeong Concurrent Professor, Dept. of Textile & Clothing, The University of Suwon

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to broaden the realm of the fashion design using print hereafter and to urge designers to the better quality design by presenting successful case. As a method of the study, the literature and visual data in this study were reviewed focusing on the 1960's, which was Pucci's golden age. For the historical background, textual and visual data related to sixties fashion and Italian fashion were referred. Foreign literature was investigated to study life of Pucci and his design tendency in fashion because domestic papers and research data were rare. Out of this, characteristics of fashion design of Pucci and conclusion were extracted. Emilio Pucci was born to an illustrious Florentine aristocratic family in 1914. He was a designer, businessman and politician. Pucci's design has following characteristics. Firstly, gorgeous geometric prints with brilliant colors were key factor in Pucci's fashion design. Secondly, Pucci's design in fashion was a luxury sporty casual style symbolizing wearer's status and position in society. Thirdly, Pucci liberated the wearer's body using light and stretch material matching comfortable and active style. Lastly, Pucci developed total fashion dealing with various items widely including clothes and non-clothing products.

Key Words : sixties, luxury, stretch, print, total fashion

Ⅰ. Introduction design is in harmony with the fashion style and the material. He succeeded in fashion design Print design is widely used as a decoration because he designed unique, gorgeous and technique for the fashion design because it can luxury prints and matched these with the easily make various images and it costs material and style. His successful case could be relatively low comparing with other decoration a good model for designers especially focusing techniques. Though the print design itself is on print design. But it is hard to find the study important, the harmony with its fashion style and on his fashion design yet. Therefore the purpose material is essential for the successful fashion of this study is to broaden the realm of the design. Emilio Pucci is a designer whose print fashion design using print hereafter and to urge

Corresponding author; Oh Yunjeong , Tel.+82-2-525-7759 E-mail: [email protected]

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designers to the better quality design by Warhol's Factory, Swinging London, etc and presenting successful case. Pucci enjoyed his period of greatest creativity, As a method of the study, the literature and evidently inspired by the exciting and important visual data in this study were reviewed focusing interaction between fashion, design, music and on the 1960's, which was Pucci's golden age, science 2) . Among many events happened during though he worked from the end of the 1940's to the sixties, what primarily related with Pucci's the 1980's. For the historical background, textual fashion are as follows. and visual data related to sixties fashion and Firstly, owing to the growth of science and Italian fashion were referred. Foreign literatures technology, a variety of new material was were investigated to study life of Pucci and his produced, better living circumstances such as design tendency in fashion because domestic using convenient electric home appliances or papers and research data were rare. Especially, making a jet trip at a low cost were made up, 'Pucci-A Renaissance in Fashion', 'Emilio and the space age opened. These development Pucci-Looking at Fashion', and 'Emilio Pucci' of electronics and appearance of new material where a full account of Pucci including photos relaxed restrictions for style, function, and way had been given, were mainly studied. Out of of design. As a result of this, the ideal shape, this, characteristics of fashion design of Pucci tried by growing science and technology at the and conclusion were extracted. beginning of 20th century, could be materialized As a contents of the study, historical by rapid technological innovation in the sixties 3) . background was divided into general background High tech - from plastic and stretch fabric to and background by history of costume. Then, industrial zippers - was associated with progress after being investigated life of Pucci and his and a happy future 4) . tendency in fashion design, characteristics of Secondly, after the Second World War baby fashion design of Pucci and conclusion were boom generation built up young power and they extracted as a result of this. constituted a consuming society culture. The dominant characteristic of the sixties fashion revolution may be summed up with Vogue's Ⅱ. Historical Background catchword of the day, "Youthquake" 5) . Social and economic developments had given young people 1. General Background around the world, the postwar baby boom generation, a self-conscious awareness of It was during the sixties, years full of vitality themselves as a distinct and unified group that and optimism and marked by an active they were able to respond to political events, in confidence in progress, that Emilio Pucci's the process creating their own culture 6) . designs established their reputation and met with Thirdly, with the great development of mass unconditional approval, becoming, as never media like TV, movie, and magazine, popular before, a fashion phenomenon, the symbol of culture such as pop music or Pop Art made an era of good taste 1) . The sixties were defined remarkable progress. Especially, pop music by unrivalled mass-media legends such as the meant beyond simply playing music to young music of , the , Mary people at that time and had an great effect on Quant, the death of Marilyn Monroe, Andy

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them and street fashion 7) . People went crazy nonetheless supplied a fertile lode of invention about Beatles and Rolling Stones and their for the decade's fashion designers 13) . fashion influenced their followers. The Beatles' arrival in the United States marked the start of the so-called '' of popular music Ⅲ. Life of Emilio Pucci and His 8) and fashion style . Tendency in Fashion Design

2. Background by History of Costume 1. Life of Pucci

In terms of history of costume, there were a Emilio Pucci was born to an illustrious lot of events in the sixties. Among them, Florentine aristocratic family in 1914 14) . He was a following three events are the most important designer and businessman and played an active and closely related with Pucci. part in politics as a member of the Italian Firstly, mini skirt appeared and spread far and Parliament from 1963 to 1972 and of the wide all over the world. As preference for the Florentine City Council from 1965 to 1990. lightest, thinnest, shortest, and smallest thing in He was excellent in sports such as swimming, all fields of design came to be prevailing, tennis, fencing, and skiing from boyhood and product design became minimized. This trend chosen in 1934 to compete as a member of the affected fashion and made mini skirt appear and Italian Olympic ski team. His mastery and love come to be widespread all around the world. of sports have been a major part of his life and 9) Mary Quant, a mother of the , was a have influenced many of his designs 15) . designer who wanted to make people look like Pucci who were raised by severe parents the young and retain their precious freedom. So spent his childhood slow, calm, leisurely, and she created clothes that allowed people to run, unglamorous. He graduated from the Ginnasio 10) to jump, to leap, to retain their freedom . Liceo Galileo in Florence in 1933. At eighteen Secondly, experimental and avant-garde he entered the University of Milan to study design including space look came into fashion agriculture. Though his strict parents gave him and a variety of new material was used for this only a small allowance, he felt a new existence as synthetic textiles were invented and treatment and a fantastic change outside of insular and finishing method were developed. Many Florence 16) . He got a taste of the wider field designers created the new clothes using paper, traveling around the world. plastic, metal, vinyl, glass, and etc. Cardin, At that time, America was the dream of many Courreges, Emanuel Ungaro and Paco Rabanne European young people, and Emilio was no experimented with futuristic 'space age' looks in exception. Therefore he chose to complete his the mid-1960s that featured new shapes and studies in the United States. He attended the 11) used new technologies . University of Georgia from September 1935 to Thirdly, Pop Art or Op Art influenced textile July of the next year. In July of 1936, he won a design or color and led to abstract and skiing scholarship to Reed College in Portland, 12) geometric pattern or strong color arrangement . Oregon and completed a Master's degree in While the collaborations of the'20s and '30s social sciences. He felt that the American were rarely repeated, the new art of the '60s

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experience changed him a lot in many ways. He onto the ski slopes 18) . Then, as Capri enjoyed the debates, the long political look which was designed in 1949 became discussions, social activities and even doing popular, he opened a number of Emilio himself on trifles. After graduating from Reed boutiques on Capri, in Rome, on the Isle of College, Pucci returned to Italy and got a Elba, and at the spa of Montecatini. He also doctorate degree in political science at the began to export his summer wear to America University of Florence in 1941. and became the symbol of a new, comfortable Pucci carried out his military service as a style with the image of luxury resort. In pilot. He enlisted in the Italian Air Force in 1938 the sixties, he came to take a golden age as and in 1940, in the middle of World WarⅡ , flew designer symbolizing style and status. As doing torpedo bombers on dangerous missions in a lot good business, he extended his design line into of areas of the Mediterranean Sea, from the all sorts of merchandise such as lingerie, islands of Rhodes, Sicily, and Sardinia. He perfume, accessory, and home furnishing. In the obtained many images from the war, citing one seventies, in connection with economically and particularly as a major influence on his work. socially depressed atmosphere, his business The torpedo bomber pilots flew at very low declined but after the eighties, his style came to altitudes to avoid the enemy's radar scan, get popular again. He died in 1992 in Florence. skimming over the sea for thousands of miles. Emilio Pucci had an determined philosophy of What impressed him was the constant movement life as follows and worked hard doing his best and the kaleidoscope of colors that spread out as a fashion designer and politician through his before him on these long missions and this whole life. "The best thing you do in life is to vision had influenced all his designs after that serve people at the best of your ability." time. His career as a fashion designer started when 2. Design Tendency of Pucci in Fashion Pucci wearing his ski wear, his own design, appeared in Harper's Bazaar in 1948 17) . Pucci was fond of observing how, every now Thereafter, He introduced stylish colors and style and then, local newspapers reported that visitors

Harper's Bazaar Fashion for the truly Pucci new fashion photo featuring Pucci's ski chic ski slopes, 1965 in Saks Fifth Avenue window, clothes,1948 -Emilio Pucci - - Pucci - A Renaissance in 1965 - Emilio Pucci -Looking Looking at Fashion , p.24 Fashion , p.59 at Fashion , p.42

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had been taken to the hospital, suffering from made by Trabaldo for slacks, bodysuits, and the "Stendhal Syndrome". He described the evening wear in 1960. He designed a variety of syndrome as a manifestation of a mysterious exotic prints with brilliant colors getting and timeless feeling of beauty, creativity, and inspiration from the trip around the world. Trip harmony traceable in Florence back to some had been a major inspiration for most of the three thousand years ago 19) . He was interested famous Pucci prints. At a glance, they appeared in getting the inspiration from the Florentine to be abstract or merely stylized, but on closer historic object of art and expressing it. He examination, people could find patterns inspired thought that fashion design had the by architecture, nature, or the activities of responsibility of leading people through images various places. Also, architecture or fine arts of of dignity and that was what he had to serve the Renaissance period and the beautiful and a woman's greatest qualities were her scenery and characteristic scenes of everyday feminity, grace, and mystery. life of Italy were expressed in prints 21) . the body by moving comfortably with the wearer. He preferred the practical design of very packable, easy-to-wear, morning-to-night Ⅳ. Characteristics because he enjoyed the trip himself and created in Fashion Design of Emilio Pucci casual and chic, natural and graceful sports casual look. At that time civilian air travel was Pucci has following characteristics in his becoming popular and Pucci's design which was fashion design. light, cool, comfortable, and don't have to iron First of all, brightly colored and gorgeous was very attractive for trip, casual party, and geometric patterns were the most important key resort life 20) . factor in Pucci's fashion design. His creative Pucci used silk jersey which was light and and quality printed patterns led Pucci style into comfortable and "Emilioform," an elastic silk shantung a great success. During the 1960s, Op Art was

Blue, orange, and Printed silk blouse On the mauve printed lycra leggings, with fall tone design of roof of Pucci's palazzo, 1965 Italian piazza, 1955 1964 - Emilio Pucci , p.32 -Fashion, Italian Style , p.24 - Emilio Pucci , p.33

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popular and it described art that explored human printed patterns with getting the inspiration from perceptual processes through optical effects 22) . ethnic and folk elements of the local places The works of Op Art's practitioners were traveling around the world. For perceptually ambiguous and often suggested example, his visit to Bali in 1960 inspired him dizzying movement, either through subtle shifts for many years. He called Balinese people in color or black-and-white patterns and lines 23) . "romantically intellectual," and the flowers, native Op Art also described a unique three batik work, decorative borders, and traditional dimensional effect by optical illusion shown by dress built up the foundation for some of his transforming some patterns geometrically and most memorable designs of the decade 26) . were graphically simple, fashion makers adapted His print was composed of a variety of color. Op Art to textile and fashion design and this Color played a significant role in Pucci's fashion became the great heat for fashion-loving young design. It expressed psychedelic image like the people. Pucci's geometric patterns were depths of the sea, kaleidoscopic movement, and basically influenced by Op Art. But compared the infinite tonalities of shadow. His with Op Art whose color was mainly based on pure, primary and natural colors, his taste for black-and-white and motives were simply lines abstraction, his frequent choice of non-figurative or figures, Pucci's were much more colorful forms, his modular organization of the chromatic and based on various and realistic motives. In his patterns, everything from the curves seemed to be inspired by the sunshine of Italy, the columnar architecture of backgrounds of Renaissance paintings, or by the Greece, the flowers of Provence, to the domed taste for symbolic representation and decoration churches of Russia appeared 25) . He found in Oriental and African cultures 27) . made it a motif the scene of Italian daily life or relics of the past like Renaissance and designed

Colorful A brilliant Gorgeous Stylized geometric print design diamond tailored shirt pattern appeared in floral pattern, which suggests and dots, stripes, and the cover of Harper's 1953~75 movement 1953~75 free-form shapes in a Bazaar USA,1963 -Pucci-A - Pucci - A tapered silk shirt,1960s -Emilio Renaissance in Renaissance in -Pucci-A Renaissance in Pucci-Looking at Fashion, p.115 Fashion , p.115 Fashion , p.94 Fashion, p.26

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Graphic Fishes djellabas Indian patterns inspired by design inspired by inspired by -influenced hot colored traditional Florentine Mediterranean culture, fashion and Arab- geometric pattern in game, late fifties 1969 influenced pyjama silk chiffon, 1967 - Emilio Pucci - - Emilio Pucci , p.51 trouser s, 1968 - Pucci - A Looking at Fashion , -Emilio Pucci , p.49 Renaissance in p.65 Fashion , p.100

Shirt with Balinese Pucci's Vivara decorated hem-lines -influenced print and representative print hooded burnoos and and a silk sarong, silhouette in silk design from Vivara harem style Bali collection,1962 jersey, 1962 - Pucci collection 1966 jumpsuit,1966 ~1963 - A Renaissance in -Emilio Pucci-Looking -Emilio Pucci-Looking - Emilio Pucci - Fashion , p.102 at Fashion , p.180 at Fashion , p.48 Looking at Fashion , p.80

Secondly, Pucci's design in fashion was a well and design the clothes satisfying their luxury sporty casual style symbolizing wearer's needs because he was Italian aristocrat who status and position in society. In the fifties when was a professional skier and enjoying the travel. Pucci started to design, the entertainment such His designs such as the ski wear design, as sports, travel, recreation at resort was easy-casual wear which high society people rampant among people of the upper classes to could wear comfortably at airplane when show off their social success. Pucci could traveling, resort look for a luxury resort area, understand the lifestyle of the upper classes very and a suitable style for a casual party were

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luxury sporty casual style and elevated to the . Emilioform composed of 45% level of a status symbol for an entire society in shantung silk and 55% nylon was used for new a certain period. skiing outfits - Capsular - that hugged the body Thirdly, Pucci liberated the wearer's body like a second skin and this 'Capsular' using light and stretch material matching symbolized a modern, international and elegant comfortable and active style. In 1960 Pucci style 30) . began to experiment with the newest chemical He inspired textile companies to produce the finds - manmade fibers. With Trabaldo mills, he functional material such as the lightest silk developed a silk shantung, a blend of elastic jersey, the finest cotton batiste, the stretchiest fibers. He designed tight fitting cat-suits which nylon, and the softest cashmere. The he called capsular using this new stretch pressure of the body was minimized by using material and in order to accentuate the effect of the light material like feather and reducing the a second skin on a slender and liberate female weight of clothes. His revealing silk jersey body, he added little booties, in a Renaissance dresses made women feel and look wild, sexy, style, and in a coordinated fabric 28) . elegant and he felt that his clothes helped His revolutionary new capsular was well ahead women liberate their bodies. Although he of their times and modern, international, pursued relaxed free style, his design always did dynamic, and chic. Also he designed not miss elegance and feminity by prints such comfortable and stylish pants. For his famous as floral patterns or softness of color and "cigarette pants," Pucci used a stretch shantung tone. material in solid color. In 1960 he Lastly, Pucci developed total fashion dealing introduced a fabric called "Emilioform," an with various items widely including clothes and elasticized silk shantung made by Trabaldo and non-clothing products. For the first ready-to used for slacks, bodysuits, and even evening wear 29) -wear fashion show, held in April 1967, Emilio

Mini dress "Capsular" Pucci's 'Emilioform' printed and decorated bodysuits made of tailored silk shirt and clothing for resort with beading, 1966 "Emilioform" fabric, tapered red pants, look, 1960 -Emilio Pucci-Looking 1959 -Pucci - A 1953 - Pucci-A - Emilio Pucci , p.27 at Fashion , p.86 Renaissance in Renaissance in Fashion , p.47 Fashion , p.76

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A bright colors Pucci Drawing of Walking on a silk crepe de chine, relaxed and yet a bathroom with artwork in boldly 1968/pure psych edelia elegant style, 1965 towels designed by colored and in lightwe ight wool - Emilio Pucci Pucci for Spring patterned tights, 1969 jersey, 1967 - Pucci- A -Looking at Fashion , Mills, 1967 -Emilio - Pucci - A Renaissance in Fashion , p.43 Pucci, p.58 Renaissance in p.92 Fashion , p.139

A selection of Pucci A solid and print Pucci and his models silk, cotton, and velvet handbags wardrobe for Braniff for the launch of the perfume designed and made in Italy from hostesses, 1965 - Emilio 'Vivara', 1966 the mid 1950s to mid 1970s - Pucci - Looking at Fashion , Pucci-A Renaissance in Fashion , p.179 -Emilio Pucci, p.52 p.149

Pucci launched a series of printed beachwear from scarf, bag, underwear, and shoes to and towels, that were to be marketed by Spring perfume, home furnishing, porcelains, pen, and Mills 31) . Bathroom towels composed of a variety automobile. His kaleidoscopic textile 33) of colors and patterns appeared in the designs were made up into these items . He catwalk. Also, to help women wearing designed uniform, too. Before he designed it, mini skirt look elegant, he developed a line of airline hostess wore conservative jackets and printed tights and multicolored diamond prints skirts of muted blues, grays, and greens. For decorated the opaque pantyhose or tights 32) . And besides, he designed a variety of items outfitted hostesses in layers of color-Pucci pink,

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bold blue, a medium blue, absinthe green, technology, a variety of new material was apricot, and melon and Pucci's unusual uniform produced, better living circumstances were made designs led increased passengers loads 34) . Since the beginning of his fashion design the Second World War baby boom generation career in 1947, a myriad of Pucci-designed built up young power and they constituted a fashion accessories and non-clothing products consuming society culture, thirdly, with the great have issued from his Florence atelier including development of mass media, playing cards encased in elegant boxes to such as pop music or Pop Art made remarkable signed lithographs that illustrate parts of his progress. favorite patterns and elegant ceramic vases, In terms of history of costume, firstly, mini plates, cups, and saucers uniquely patterned for skirt appeared and spread far and wide all over prestigious Rosenthal China of Germany from the world as prevailing preference for the 1961 to 1977, from zany headgear to tassel lightest, thinnest, shortest, and smallest thing in earrings to winged sandals, from patterned all fields of design. Secondly, experimental and sheets to life-style perfumes to distinctive avant-garde design including space look came uniforms to collectible lithographs to his design into fashion and a variety of new material was for the Apollo 15 space mission in 1971, there used for this as synthetic textiles were invented are few high-style products Pucci has not put and treatment and finishing method were his crest on 35) . Pucci carried designer developed. Thirdly, Pop Art or Op Art influenced diversification into areas where many others had textile design or color and led to abstract and feared to tread 36) . geometric pattern or strong color arrangement. Emilio Pucci was born to an illustrious Florentine aristocratic family in 1914. He was a Ⅴ. Conclusion designer, businessman and politician. He thought that clothes had to liberate the body by moving Emilio Pucci is a successful designer because comfortably with the wearer. So he designed of his unique, gorgeous and luxury print designs light, cool, comfortable clothes. He also and well matched material and style with these preferred the practical design of very packable, prints. His successful case could be a good easy-to-wear, morning-to-night because he model for designers especially focusing on print enjoyed the trip himself and created casual and design. This study aims at broadening the realm chic, natural and graceful sports casual look. of the fashion design using print hereafter and Especially successful key element of his design urging designers to the better quality design by was a variety of exotic prints with brilliant colors presenting successful case. getting inspiration from the trip around the During the sixties Emilio Pucci's designs world. established their reputation and met with Pucci's design has following characteristics. unconditional approval becoming a fashion Firstly, gorgeous geometric patterns with phenomenon, the symbol of an era of good brilliant colors were key factor in Pucci's fashion taste. As a primary event during the sixties, design. Secondly, Pucci's design in fashion has firstly, owing to the growth of science and been a luxury sporty casual style symbolizing

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wearer's status and position in society. Thirdly, 14) Biennale di Firenze(ed.)(1996), Emilio Pucci liberated the wearer's body using light and Pucci-Looking at Fashion, Firenze: Skira stretch material matching comfortable and active editore, p.23. style. Lastly, Pucci developed total fashion 15) Kennedy Shirley(1991), Pucci-A Renaissance dealing with various items widely including in Fashion , New York: Abbeville Press, Inc., clothes and non-clothing products. p.21. 16) Ibid., p.22. 17) Biennale di Firenze, op.cit., p.24. Reference 18) Kennedy Shirley, op.cit., p.59. 19) Ibid., p.13-15. 1) Mariuccia Casadio(2003), Emilio Pucci , New 20) Casadio, Mariuccia, op.cit., p.32. York: Assouline Publishing, p.5. 21) Steele Valerie(2003), Fashion, Italian Style , 2) Ibid., p.18. New Haven and London: Yale University 3) Choi Beesook(1998), "A Study on Mini Style Press, p.24. Fashion in the 1960's", Ewha Woman's 22) Buxbaum Gerda(ed.)(1999), Icons of University doctoral dissertation, pp.16-17. Fashion-the 20th Century- , Munich․․ Berlin 4) Steele Valerie(2006), Fifty Years of Fashion London․ New York: Prestel, pp.90-91. -New Look to Now- , New Haven and 23) Ibid., p.90. London: Yale University Press, p.64. 24) Cho Kyuhwa(1995), Fashion Dictionary , 5) Ibid., p.50. Kyungchoon Co., p.409. 6) Ibid., p.50. 25) Ibid., p.35. 7) Cho Kyuhwa, Lee Heeseung(2004), 26) Park Sunkyung(1995), "A Study on Formative Aesthetics of Fashion , Suhaksa, p.217. Specialty through Emilio Pucci's Work", 8) Breward Christopher, Gilbert David, Lister Journal of Korean Society of Design Jenny(ed.)(2006), , London: Science, 9, p.75. V&A Publications, p.102. 27) Mariuccia Casadio, op.cit., p.17. 9) Lobenthal Joel(1990), Radical Rags - 28) Biennale di Firenze, op.cit., p.40. of the Sixties - , New York: 29) Kennedy Shirley, op.cit., p.47. Abbeville Press, p.13. 30) Mariuccia Casadio, op.cit., pp.14-15. 10) Ibid., p.11. 31) Biennale di Firenze, op.cit., p.90. 11) Breward Christopher, Gilbert David, Lister 32) Kennedy Shirley, op.cit., pp.139-141. Jenny, op.cit., p.106. 33) Steele Valerie(2003), op.cit., p.25. 12) Shin Sangok(2005), A History of Costume in 34) Kennedy Shirley, op.cit., pp.154-156. the West , Suhaksa, pp.308-309. 35) Ibid., pp.133-134. 13) Lobenthal Joel, op.cit., p.82. 36) Ibid., p.135.

Received April 21, 2010 Revised (June 1, 2010 June 18, 2010) Accepted June 21, 2010

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