I thought seeing as it was Friday a splash of colour and a small story might be in order.
The image above is a section of a wonderful skirt I was lucky enough to find several years ago. I bought it in an retro second hand clothes and accessories store called "Zoo".
First of all, I was attracted by the delightful colours: icy blues, powder blues, dusty blues and black. The swirls and geometric shapes also caught my eye. Then on closer inspection I realised it was made of real velvet. Real plush proper velvet. It was heavy and thick and lined with black silk. Then I took it off its hanger and saw it was a maxi dress (my favourite era at that time was the '70s so it was perfect!) and it had a very long zipper running all the way up the front! I was in love and I had to have it. Fortunately it fit and at $60 it was pricey for me at the time but I understood that I had found a piece of history and a treasure. It was a real live Pucci maxi dress! Lucky me!
Emilio Pucci was an Italian nobleman who was born in 1914 and raised in the Pucci Palace, Florence. I remember seeing a documentary about him that said he was inspired by the flags of Italian aristocrats and was one of the first designers to sign his prints and scarves as if they were works of art - which they were. His daughter now runs the Pucci empire but I think his hey day was in the sixties and seventies which is when my skirt must have been made.
Below is a photo of the man himself signing one of his creations. Below that is a photo of Marisa Berenson modeling Pucci in the sixties.
Even though I don't wear it as much as I used to, I will never throw it out, give it away or donate it to a '70s aficionado! It's my tiny bit of historical glamour from the sixties and seventies!
You can find out more about Pucci here.
What an extraordinary find dear Sam! Thank you so much for sharing...
Posted by: Gabbi | June 06, 2009 at 05:01 AM
Wow, those colour combos are fabulous...Personally, I wouldn't have thought to put those blues together thinking that they would clash. But it works beautifully!
Posted by: Cate Holst | June 06, 2009 at 08:39 AM
Wow what a great piece of art. Tht is what it is and what a fantastic find!! Brilliant colours.
Posted by: lilly | June 06, 2009 at 05:16 PM
this is a great skirt and i can see the inspiration!
have a great weekend!
Posted by: Diana | June 06, 2009 at 05:18 PM
Thank you Gabbi! Yes, I don't think it's often you find something like that. Actually, I think the real reason I love it so much is because I like to think of the glamorous life it must have had in its previous life!
Yes, Cate the colours are amazing, aren't they? I'd love to have those colours in my drawings but it never quite works out! I don't know how he did it quite frankly!
Yes, it is art Lilly! That's what Pucci considered his designs to be too!
Posted by: Sam | June 06, 2009 at 05:22 PM