As a child of the 60’s, with a beautiful and chic mother who loved Pucci, it’s easy to understand why I became so enamored of the famed label early on. Add to that my artistic sensibility, my predilection for modern art inspired bold graphic patterns and unusual color combinations, and my love affair with all things Italian, and there you have it. A match made in heaven.

New Pucci Boutique at Saks Fifth Avenue (Click on images for larger view)

Speaking of matches made in heaven, Pucci and Saks Fifth Avenue seem to be made to go together. I still remember my first Pucci. It was a very signature piece: a deliciously colored and graphically patterned above the knee length long sleeved jersey dress with its own matching belt (finished with crystals at the ends). And it was purchased at the Saks Fifth Avenue in Bal Harbor, Florida, while on vacation with my family (we stayed at the famed Eden Roc Hotel). I still fit into it. I still wear it. In fact, I was photographed wearing it when More Magazine did a style profile on me in September, 2003. And it makes me smile whenever I see it, just like all my others, part of a rather enviable collection, amassed through the years.

Pucci Boutique at Saks Fifth Avenue

When I heard the news that a brand new 450 square foot Pucci boutique was set to open on the third floor of Saks Fifth Avenue (it was feted in high style last Tuesday night, at a party co hosted by Glenda Bailey and creative director Peter Dundas), it certainly conjured up many great memories and peeked my curiosity. Filled with a carefully edited selection highlighting the best of Mr. Dundas’s uber glamorous and well received fall winter collection (inspired by the Tyrolean Mountains), there is something for every Pucci loving customer (and for those who may be new to the label).

Of course there are the house’s iconic swirling patterns, which are done up in everything, from the still best selling jersey dresses ($1300- $1800) to perfect-for-the-slopes sporty quilted waterproof parkas ($1850). But there is a smattering of chic leopard, a selection of impeccably tailored single or double breasted black wool blazers ($1995), and a dramatic black wool gown embellished with gold metal ($7,000), of the sort that made him a darling with a list stars like J-Lo and Gwyneth Paltrow, who have been sporting his eye catching creations on the red carpet as of late. (FYI, the least expensive item in the boutique is the $450 printed cotton t-shirt, and the most expensive is the $7000 gown).

While I may have appreciated the timelessness and often museum quality artistry of Pucci early on, it was really not until the 80’s that I began to collect with a vengeance. At that time, I was senior market editor of Harper’s Bazaar, and a full blown Pucci revival was underway. Long before wearing vintage was as commonplace and mainstream as it is today, I found myself ‘shopping’ for standout pieces in my mother’s closet, and when my thirst could not be satiated there, I began to frequent vintage stores, vintage shows, religiously going to the 26th Street Flea Market, and scouring the high end thrift shops, such as Memorial Sloan-Kettering, 1440 Third Avenue, 212, 535-1250, http://www.memorialthriftshop.org/. (Coincidentally, their holiday bazaar is taking place this Wednesday, November 9 – Sunday, November 13, with proceeds benefitting The Society of MSKCC’s Patient Care, Research and Education programs. In addition to an Emilio Pucci dress, $450 new with tags, other sale highlights include a Missoni wool dress with mink bottom; a Bill Blass satin suit, $285; an Alexander McQueen dress suit, unused, $675;, Gucci black/red shoes with rhinestones, $125; and Manolo Blahnik gold sandals, $140.)

The New York Times, Sunday February 11th, 2001 Sunday Styles Section

My love affair with vintage was firmly cemented. I truly loved and appreciated that when I wore vintage Pucci. I not only stood out, but I did not look like anyone else. When Bill Cunningham ran his 18 picture column on me back in February, 2001, “The color of money (in the bank)”, almost half the pieces were vintage Pucci. More recently, I appeared in his apres New York Fashion Week story, “Fresh” clad in my most favorite piece: a vintage Pucci blouse with Saks Fifth Avenue label which belonged to my mom, paired with a velvet Pucci bag scored at Resurrection Vintage years ago, when they had their jewel of a shop on East 7th Street.

While I would hardly say that I wear Pucci on a regular basis (my urbane daily uniform is more about black, black and white, navy, khaki), I have kept my beloved collection in tact, and when the occasion is right, I don’t hesitate to revive my all time favorites.

And talk about a quick happy fix. Which reminds me of the time, many years ago, that I was in the elevator of my building and an elderly woman got on. She asked if I was wearing Pucci and when I said, yes, she bemoaned that she had given all of hers away. Then, with a wicked twinkle in her eye, she said, “We had so much fun in those clothes.” That said it all.

Marilyn Monroe wearing Pucci dress

By the way, I am not the only Marilyn who has a fondness for Pucci. My far more famous namesake, Marilyn Monroe, had quite a collection and requested that she be buried in one of her favorite silk printed blouses. Other famed icons who also wore and collected Pucci include Jacqueline Onassis and Elizabeth Taylor.

– Marilyn Kirschner

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Emilio Pucci is turning 60 and doing it in high, colorful style. What else would you expect from an iconic, legendary house that is synonomous with joyful explosive color, exuberant pattern, and intrinsically linked with the jet setting good life?

It was reported in yesterday’s http://www.fashionweekdaily.com/,“Pucci’s Cosmic Celebration” that about 250 guests will descend upon Florence for a two part “event-filled weekend” hosted by Laudomia Pucci and Delphine Arnault which will include an artistic installation, black tie dinner at the Palazzo Pucci, and culminating in a new signature fragrance launch at Marchesi Pucci’s country estate at Villa di Granaiolo.

As someone who has been involved with the fashion business for decades, I have seen styles come and go. Like leopard prints, trench coats, pearls, black and white, and other classics that stand the test of time and always look great, there is a ‘forever’ appeal that is associated with Pucci. In addition, the joy that comes from wearing Pucci cannot be underestimated, particularly in these days of dull mass produced sameness. Especially when the reigning mood and ‘look’ of the moment is dark and brooding, there is nothing more upbeat and life affirming than donning a colorful and boldly patterned Pucci, (many of which can be framed and hung on the wall and easily qualify as arresting works of art). Plus, you know you will most assuredly stand out in a crowd.

Most people who know me, associate me with Pucci. In fact, I became a vintage enthusiast in the early 80’s when I began searching high and low for vintage Pucci’s. At that time, (before the vintage ‘craze’), they were surprisingly rare and hard to come by. In the 60’s, my mother (who had and still has amazing taste), accumulated some of the best Pucci’s I’ve ever seen and luckily for me, I’ve ‘inherited’ them (silk shirts, jersey dresses, and a few velvet dresses). While I’ve amassed many more since then, my mom’s ‘cache’, and my very first jersey dress purchased in 1968 at the Saks Fifth Avenue in Bal Harbour Florida (which I was photographed in for More Magazine, September 2003), are still the best I’ve seen anywhere. By the way, my mother’s Picasso-like velvet dress in shades of pink, purple, lavender , gray, and white, is a true work of art and never fails to illicit oohs and aahs. In fact, when I wear my vintage pieces, I’m usually met with exclaims from older women (with a visible twinkle in their eyes) who exclaim, “Oh, I had such a great time in my Pucci’s. How wonderful when a fashion house has the power to illicit such strong memories and emotions.

At a time when so many companies are striving for an enduring identity, brand recognition, and a loyal customer base (including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Maria Callas, and Marilyn Monroe who asked to be buried in her favorite Pucci shirt), it is no small feat that this house has been so successful at all the above for so many years. And let’s not forget that most of the pieces that are decades old not only hold up today but look as wonderful and modern now as they did back then. Of course, the late Emilio, (who was born Marchese Emilio Pucci in Naples, 1914 and died in 1992), was a scholar, an athlet e, a member of the Italian ski team and received a masters degree from the University of Portland. He was a trailblazing, jet setting, bon vivant who loved women, wanted them to look beautiful, feel beautiful and comfortable, and wisely translated his maximalist color and pattern onto supremely spare, minimalist, and sporty silhouettes (which kept them from being completely over the top). On top of that, they pack and travel like a dream.

All I can say is that I’m glad that I was never tempted to give away or sell my ‘treasures’. I hope to wear and enjoy them for many years. While I’ll probably request that I be buried in one, I haven’t quite figured out which and naturally, I’d rather not dwell on such a morbid thought. Happy 60!

-Marilyn Kirschner

Kmart Launch Event

Kmart staged “a celebration of all things blue” Monday night at Blue Fin in the W Hotel in new York’s Times Square. The event marked the launch of Kmart’s first all new, integrated marketing campaign since 2003. Like some other discount retailers (Target, for example), Kmart is seeking to position itself as a place where shoppers can find, trendy, stylish, quality merchandise that is value priced.

The new ad features an animated character called “Mr. Blue Light”, a talking light bulb that will probably remind long-time Kmart shoppers of the legendary blue-light specials of the 70’s and 80’s. The new Mr. Blue Light is designed to go beyond highlighting deep discounts and instead to act as a resource to customers, offering friendly guidance for their shopping needs.

The first television ad featuring Mr. Blue Light debuted on Monday night during the programs Dancing with the Stars and Deal or No Deal. Guests at the launch event were invited to preview the ad while enjoying blue cocktails and nibbling on finger foods. The blue theme extended to all aspects of the evening, including the lighting and the blue beach towels found in the goody bags.

Kmart customers will continue to find familiar brands like Route 66, Jaclyn Smith, and Martha Stewart. Later this year, according to one of the Kmart representatives, the Joe Boxer brand will be moving to the chain’s sister retailer, Sears. When asked if Kmart will eventually look to supplement its in-house design team by reaching out to other designers, as the Gap did recently, no definitive answer was given. We can, however, count on seeing them back again in September, along with Sears, as a presence during New York’s Fashion Week.

-Rhonda Erb

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