Reviews provided by Syndetics

Booklist Review

This aptly subtitled book is published in a period relishing the resurgence of fashion's master of kaleidoscopic, psychedelic prints, Emilio Pucci. Kennedy begins with Pucci's Italian/Russian aristocratic background--he is formally the Marchese Emilio Pucci di Barsento--which traces to early thirteenth-century Florence. However, Pucci's life as a sort of medieval doge remained unencumbered by his ivory tower heredity. His fashion notoriety began in 1947 when he was photographed wearing ski clothes of his own design. That same year, after the photo appeared in a 1948 Harper's Bazaar, Pucci began designing women's ski wear for Lord & Taylor. His first shop opened in Capri in 1949, and by 1950 Pucci established his couture house. His designs, such as the "capsula" bodysuit, helped women liberate their bodies, as did his introduction of "Emilioform," his trademark fabric used from swim wear to evening dresses. Licensing also entered the line, as Pucci prints decorated pottery, linens, and cars. Although Pucci's popularity waned in the 1970s, the late 1980s brought reemergence as women's clothes became even more uninhibited and once again demanded his signature, electrically colored prints and "elasticized" fabrics. An excellent fashion history, highly recommended for library collections. Photos are in color and black and white. ~--Janet Lawrence