THE common notion in fashion is that too much print is a no no but Laudomia Pucci would prove you otherwise. Dressed immaculately from head to toe in clothes from the brand synonymous with geometric prints in a kaleidoscope of colours, the image director of Emilio Pucci is every inch the poster girl of an Italian lady living la dolce vita.
Of course, as the daughter of Emilio Pucci himself, she knows better than anybody else how to match prints.
However, Ms Pucci, who was in town last week to launch the first standalone Emilio Pucci ('Pucci') boutique in Singapore at Level 2, Takashimaya Department Store, believes that anybody can do the same with just a bit of courage and education.
'As a brand, we try and teach people the value of prints,' she says. 'There are those who believe that prints should only be worn as an accent, as a stand-out piece. Our role is to show them that it is possible to match, say, a printed top with even a printed skirt and we have surprised many customers with that revelation.
'Then there are those who are afraid of prints. I'd tell them that they can start small, with a scarf, or just a top or even an item of clothing with just a hint of print. All these are options, it is simply a matter of giving them a chance.'
She adds that over the years, Pucci has been stereotyped as the go-to shop for crazy prints in wild colours that epitomised the disco look of the 60s, a view that she hopes her newest creative director Peter Dunda can rectify.
'If you look at our last Fall/Winter '09 collection, you will see what I mean,' she insists. 'Many who saw the collection came up to me and said, there is no way these are the prints of our father. They couldn't believe it when I told them they were based on his work from the 50s. If you look carefully enough, you will see that the collection, though different, is distinctly Pucci.'
Indeed, the collection with a colour palette based around earthy blues and browns was considerably more stately than many fashion aficionados would expect.
That said, the range, featuring a more subdued set of prints from a 1957 collection dubbed 'Palio' after Siena's centuries-old horse race shows the versatility that Pucci needs and has to remain timely in a competitive fashion industry.
Even so, the enterprising brand is not resting on its laurels.
Having enticed the luxury conglomerate LVMH to take over 67 per cent of the company that was previously family owned, the next step is a campaign to expand the brand internationally.
Realising the importance of Asia as a consumer market, Ms Pucci reveals that the brand has been focused on increasing its regional presence over the last two and a half years.
The decision to open a standalone boutique in Singapore with its local fashion retailer partners Bluebell was a strategic one, she says, as the company sees Singapore as the fashion hub of South-east Asia with a market sophisticated enough to understand the value of Pucci.
'The best thing about a brand like Pucci is how distinctive it is,' she explains.
'Anyone that buys something from Pucci knows that he/she is purchasing a bit of history that is recognisable all over the world. That, I feel, is the beauty of Italian fashion and why Pucci has done so well over the years.'
This article was first published in The Business Times.
