When it comes to glamorous fans, Emilio Pucci was the envy of other fashion designers. During the 1950s and 60s, the “prince of prints” – as the designer became known – dressed Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy and Sophia Loren. Marilyn Monroe was even buried in the brand. And now, more than 30 years after his death, Pucci’s trademark vibrant swirly prints are enjoying another fashion moment.
The return of Pucci has been bubbling up through content creators on TikTok, and the brand has the endorsement of Gen Z favourite Hailey Bieber. But it was confirmed this week when Lyst, the fashion data experts, revealed that searches for the brand had increased 96% in the second quarter of the year. Two of the classic prints – the pink Marmo from 1968 and the Orchidee from 1966 – were particularly popular, on minidresses and handkerchief tops.
While not everyone can afford the prices of new Pucci – a Orchidee minidress is £645 – Depop also report a rise in secondhand: searches are up 381% since January on the resale app. And there are Pucci-like prints on fast fashion sites such as Shein and Asos for as little as £14.51.
Pucci’s popularity is about more than irresistible bright prints. It signposts a change in mood. Katy Lubin, the vice-president of brand and communications at Lyst, says: “It’s been years of this quite serious, quite luxury, minimal, intellectual fashion, or just quite plain and neutral-y fashion. It’s exciting to see something that feels colourful and fun and fresh – especially during summertime.”
The season is another factor. On social media, videos showing Pucci often feature the hashtag #puccigirl or #puccisummer – one Vogue writer reported in April: “The Pucci woman is taking over my summer moodboard”. The trend is an offshoot of a wider aesthetic called “Euro summer”, which highlights the props that represent a starter pack of summer on the continent – from tomatoes and pasta, to white walls and blue sea. It seems Italian brands with print and colour are part of this, too. Lubin says there is also renewed interest in Missoni, Versace and Roberto Cavalli, but describes Pucci as “the hero brand”.
This status is down to Pucci’s history – and its association with jet-set holidays. The label was founded by Pucci, a marchese who grew up in a palace in Florence. He launched his brand in the 1940s and opened a boutique in Capri in 1950. In the 50s and 60s, Taylor and others began wearing the designs on holiday. Now, says a Depop spokesperson, “the brand’s psychedelic prints [are] synonymous with Italian glamour and vintage style”.
Camille Miceli has been the creative director of Pucci since 2021, and she has doubled down on this heritage. Speaking not long after her appointment, she said: “Pucci isn’t a conceptual brand, it’s a lifestyle brand, so its message has to be direct.” This message has been clearly signposted by the staging of the brand’s shows – the most recent took place in Portofino, another upscale Italian holiday destination. It’s a move that helps the brand appeal both to the wealthy women that go to such locations, and those who aspire to do so.
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Pucci’s prints might not be a monogram but the fact they are so recognisable means they still work to show the wearer’s wealth. Depop’s spokesperson argues this points to the return of “a more maximalist style of dressing – [it’s] less brash than the logomania of the 2010s but still gives instant ‘if you know, you know’ cues to other fashion insiders”. Lubin, meanwhile, describes the prints as “the equivalent to the logo to be seen in this summer”.
As a brand so associated with the summer season, what are the chances that these prints will still be seen as autumn arrives? If minidresses and handkerchief tops might make an exit, Lubin says silk scarves will remain: “That could be one way we will see Pucci beyond the beach.”
