Abu Dhabi Fashion Week came to an end on Tuesday with the autumn-winter 2008 collection by Pucci.
Born in 1914 to one of Florence's oldest families, Emilio Pucci, the Marquis of Barsento, became a fashion phenomenon in the 1950s with a trailblazing vision that continues to reverberate today.
he marquis was nonetheless crowned “The Prince of Prints" by the international fashion press who were smitten by his bold, new designs and radical approach to fashion at the time.
An avid skier and athlete, who travelled between his family's regal palazzo in Florence, the mountains of Switzerland and the glamorous resort island of Capri, Pucci naturallv embodied the post-war, jet-set glamour that captivated a new generation of modern, active women.
High fashion
His fashion career began unexpectedly in 1947 when he created a streamlined ski outfit , revolutionary for its sleek, tapered trousers and hooded parka, photographed on the slopes of Switzerland for Harper's Bazaar.
Now almost 20 years later, Emilio's daughter, Laudomia Pucci, who took over her father's business in the 1990s has gone back to Pucci's original designs, dedicating the autumn-winter 2008 Pucci collection to his memory.
In an interview with tabloid! she said: “We've gone back to the origins of the brand which is ski slopes with a lot of refrences to mountains. The collection was created by Matthew Williamson and has a chic attitude towards ski resorts."
In October 2005, Matthew Williamson was appointed Creative Director, taking over the role from Christian Lacroix who had been designing the brand's collections for three years.
Describing the collection, she said: “There are a lot of puffy jacks, shorts, evening gowns and dresses with inserts and little borders. It is all very Pucci. So many colours were used like muted grey, beige, lemon and green."
Perfectly accessorised
One of the most interesting and new aspects of the collection were the accessories. “They look like chips of ice and again, the inspiration was ski slopes," she said.
Pucci will soon have three stores in the region and wants to have a strong presence in the market.
“The important thing," Laudomia said, “is to be understood and to understand your market. We know that there is a lot of evening wear that can be developed for this region. Women here love luxury, femininity and to be recognised... with Pucci you are recognised."
What surprised her, she said, “is that the women here have so much knowledge about fashion." She added: “Russian tourism in the UAE is also very strong and there are a lot of expatriates that would be interested in resort wear."
Pucci will be releasing for the first time in years, a perfume called Vivara by the end of May in the region. Also, at same time they will be launching a collection of eyewear.
The fashion show
Pucci's autumn-winter 2008 collection is a kaleidoscope of colours and geometrical patterns, the label's signature prints. The collection is trendy-chic with a lot of short jackets teamed with leggings and short boots. The puffy winter jackets were all printed with colourful geometrical designs of yellow, prink, green and purple.
This fusion of colour was joyful, energetic and very modern, yet at the same time the outfits remained simple.
The fabrics used, like silk, stretch jersey and cotton jersey, seemed light, weightless and unlined, perfectly suited for a modern, travel-friendly wardrobe.
Other than a few fur-trimmed jackets, the designs have a more autumn-winter look as opposed to a ski slope resort feel.
Everything had to have the Pucci print, whether it was on a small hand-held purse or in the insides of a jacket.
The evening wear was simple, with short puffy jackets that could nicely double up as day wear.
Gardem:
Work of genius
This striking collection of springing feathers and hanging leaves was inspired by insects. Gardem's collection was far from dull with transparent outfits, layered evening gowns and a lot of feathers.
Gardem Paris was founded in the city of romance, in 2002. It was the brain child of Garen Demerdjian, an Armenian-Lebanese designer, born in Beirut.
He says: “I was inspired by all of the spiders, dragonflies and insects of the forest that look dangerous but are not, if you leave them alone and don't harm them, like a woman." An odd-shaped wedding gown with a spiral veil, he explains is the “body of a scorpion".
