Hofdame Note: Happy 48th birthday to Crown Princess Mette-Marit! For this, her birthday and wedding anniversary month, we continue to highlight the designers who have helped her become the princess she is today.
“Elegance is movement”
Emilio Pucci
It’s fitting that a Crown Princess turns to the Pucci design house, for the founder himself was born, in 1914, to one of Italy’s oldest noble families. Pucci Palace, the family home, was both Emilio Pucci’s home and design studio for many years.
Pucci’s initial foray into clothes design was in the area of early activewear, where he was on the vanguard of using stretch fabric. He is credited with designing the first one-piece ski outfit. He also designed “comfortable, movable, women’s swimwear”.
Initially Pucci was based in Rome, where the international jet set discovered him. It was in the sixties that his popularity soared. His designs were worn by Sofia Loren, Jackie Kennedy, and Marilyn Monroe – who was interred in a Pucci dress. His bold choice of fabric and easy-to-move silhouettes matched the free-wheeling decade’s aesthetic perfectly.
Pucci became a household name to the masses when he was commissioned to design the uniforms for the Braniff flight attendants. The uniforms were designed as separates, including turtlenecks, skirts, trousers, and vests, all designed to be mix and match depending on the weather. The most unusual element was the Pucci Bubble Bonnet, which was exactly as the name described: a clear bubble designed to protect the wearer’s hair from the elements – and blasts of jet air – when embarking and disembarking.
Even the younger set got into the Pucci Party. There was a line of Pucci designs for Barbie, the very essence of a fashionable sixties doll.
Emilio Pucci died in 1992, and his daughter Laudomia took the reins at the company. The company was purchased by a French luxury goods coglomerate in 2000, with Laudomia staying on as image director. The company continues to thrive and serve a high-end clientele. Several famous designers have worked for the enterprise, including Christian Lacroix.
Although not as groundbreaking as their sixties clothes, the Pucci design house has crafted some very successful gowns for Crown Princess Mette-Marit. For Crown Princess Victoria’s wedding, MM wore an ethereal blue gown with a tiered skirt and a flattering square neckline.
For the Swedish pre-wedding concert, she wore a frothy pink Pucci confection of a dress, with interesting waist detail.
For Queen Daisy’s 40th anniversary party, the Crown Princess went a bit more streamlined but no less fetching. The white beaded gown was very Ice Queen of the North.
In 2012, for Stephanie Lannoy and Prince Guilliame’s pre-wedding dinner, she wore a striking red Pucci. It makes me wish she reached for red more often.
Do you agree that the Pucci’s flatter the Princess? Since Pucci is so fun, please spam any and all Pucci designs in the comments.