Milan Fashion Week: Pucci collection doesn’t sizzle; it fizzles

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I had such high hopes for the Pucci collection, which has been getting so much love on the red carpet of late. Especially when I read in the notes before seeing the show that designer Peter Dundas was reworking the famous Pucci prints by bleaching and tie-dying them in batik patterns. What a cool concept!

Except that it wasn’t executed as well as it could have been. On many pieces, the prints faded so much into the background, they became unremarkable. The Greek-inspired blue-and-white print cotton voile maxidress that opened the show, for example, could have been from any fashion house (Cavalli? Gucci?); the same goes for the white tunic with a swirling blue design on front. (The best print piece in the whole show was a saffron and brown maxidress with white batik overdye, worn under a caramel leather jacket with whipstitching.)

The rich hippie theme continued with bellbottoms laced in front and worn with headscarves and schoolboy blazers, as well as maxi skirts slit high to reveal suede over-the-knee boots.

But where Dundas really excelled was with those red-carpet looks aimed squarely at the rock-’n’-roll celeb set, namely a slinky black gown thick with embroidery, tassel and mirror details. and cutaway lacing revealing more than a hint of skin. (Kylie Minogue was practically salivating over it in the front row.)

Still, as I was watching the show, it felt as if the prime directive was to round out the collection with salable accessories, such as blanket-weave cross-body bags, clutches trimmed with lapis and turquoise stones, and tie-dyed tasseled Pucci print scarves, all of which were pretty great. And let’s face it, if they can sell enough of those, the rest won’t matter.

-- Booth Moore

Emilio Pucci spring-summer 2011 runway collection photo gallery