Archive for March, 2012

Kaleidoscopic prints entrance all those who saw the Spring runway for House of Pucci.

Platt

Although these prints are nothing new, they are indeed the signature of the label since Pucci reinvented textiles in the ’50s. Marchese Emilio Pucci di Barsento was born in 1914 in Naples, Italy, the son of a wealthy aristocrat. He was raised in the lap of luxury, and became an avid skier and scholar, and actually skied on Italy’s Olympic team in 1934. Pucci attended university in Oregan, and he started designing sportswear for his school’s ski team.

He later served several years as a bomber pilot for the Italian Air Force during wartime, and learned that his family lost most of its fortune in the war years.

While skiing in St. Moritz, a reporter from Harper’s Bazaar, noticed Pucci’s ski outfit and discovered he had designed his own line of ski wear. The reporter asked him to create some pieces for a photo session on winter fashion. His items were well received and showcased in the 1948 edition of Harper’s Bazaar.

In 1949, Pucci opened his first shop in the Isle of Capri, where he featured resort wear. It was here that he introduced the infamous ‘Capri Pant’ that has become a resort wear staple across the world. Another interesting fact about this venture, Emilio Pucci became the first in his family to hold gainful employment in over a thousand years.

The dizzying prints, bold colors and lightweight fabrics were loved by all. Pucci clothing was unlined, and shaped and caressed one’s figure. Pieces could be worn from pool-side lunches to fashionable parties. One client stated “wearing Pucci is like wearing nothing at all”. Everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Jackie Kennedy wore Pucci, and the celebrity following has never ceased.

Pucci’s designs didn’t stop at clothing. A flag designed by Pucci was carried by the Apollo 15 space crew for planting on the moon. He also designed the Lincoln Continental Mark IV for the Ford Motor Company.

In 1970, he was elected to the Italian Parliament. He was a well known fascist and penned several pieces on his views. As an athlete, artist, scholar, businessman, veteran and politician, Pucci passed away in 1992 after living what seemed the life of a renaissance man.

Sara Platt

Mark Badgley and James Mischka teamed up in 1988 to outfit the young, modern couture customer. Over the past two decades, their brand has gained an extensive list of celebrity fans and has graced several fashion magazine covers.

Platt

I wanted to highlight their Spring 2012 collection because it includes pieces that speak to all women. The design team said of the line, “they wanted to make clothing that was structural in shapes and bright in colors”.

Above, I’ve highlighted my favorite looks that show the range in pieces.

In 2009, the duo launched Mark + James by Badgley Michska, which is their contemporary collection, branded as the more affordable way to wear Badgley Mischka.

Sara Platt

Pastel denim is a powerhouse trend for spring and summer, and a great pastel pant or skirt of any fabric is a nice closet staple. If you are among the many that only wear white with your pastel pieces you are missing out! Why not bring in more color and do some pastel colorblocking to spruce up your spring style?

Platt

One of the most frequent questions I get is how to properly colorblock. This is a great trend, but can be difficult for those who are used to putting on a black top or pant everyday. Here’s some tips to nailing this look:

1. Use a maximum of two to three colors — too many bright colored pieces will look tacky.

2. When to use neutral versus bold accessories— Keep accessories simple when using three colors, notice how Philip Lim has nude shoes and a white bag to offset their three bold pieces. However, Alice and Olivia were able to pull in bold accessories that played off the peach hue. This is because only two colors (peach and green) were used in the ensemble. Even though the cardi and pant are a slightly different peach, they count as one color.

3. When to use solids over patterns — I am not going to say you can’t use patterned pieces, but starting out, it is much easier to color block with solid pieces. Ralph Lauren used a patterned scarf that pulls in colors from the top, pant and bag. This really brought the whole look together

Sara Platt