The Summer Pucci Took Over

I once had a moneyed Italian aunt (rest her soul) whose everyday uniform dripped maximalist joy. Her nails? Reliably lacquered in Pepto-Bismol pink. Her hair? Permed into a half-dome shape, a blissful blonde sunset. Her clothes? Bright, busy and embellished with hypnotic prints. While I always revered her flair as equal parts fabulous and cheesy, I never imagined that one day the entire internet would be clamouring to embody her essence. But then, Pucci Summer arrived.

Founded by Emilio Pucci in 1947, the Italian brand became synonymous with an exorbitant Italian getaway. Over the decades, Pucci dresses, jumpsuits and swimwear have become the uniform for Dolce Vita ease. It’s there in every Pucci design: something about the languid stretched silk and kaleidoscopic swirls, like scoops of gelato all melting together, emits an aura of leisure and a taste for summer shenanigans.

Inspired by Sicilian mosaics and Mediterranean landscapes, Pucci pieces are first and foremost about rendering the wearer happiness: their colours are mood-boosting and vibrant, their silhouettes billowy and buttery. While the brand was initially embraced by wealthy vacationers and A-list icons like Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Kennedy, in recent years, Pucci fell into a category of delightful-but-passé: something you might find in the back of your favourite aunt’s closet.

But since creative director Camille Miceli was appointed in 2021, Pucci has been pursuing a self-appointed renaissance by, well, leaning into its over-the-top image. After a break from the spotlight, the brand’s bubbly swirls have re-populated runways while tapping It girl ambassadors like Amelia Gray for cheeky internet campaigns. As a result, the label’s sun-soaked nostalgia, mixed with its commitment to flashiness, has created the ideal cocktail of summertime clothing.

Over the past few months, Pucci has flooded TikTok feeds, soared in internet search trends and been endorsed by the likes of Hailey Bieber. Sales reportedly doubled this year on Net-a-Porter, and at the end of July, shopping research platform Lyst noted that demand for the brand has skyrocketed. “Pucci has gone from retro-cool to right-now essential,” the site declared. After a long run of measured minimalism, Pucci’s all-over-the-place flamboyance ushers in a new sartorial attitude that is anything but subtle.

All things considered, there’s never been a better time for a Pucci revival. Everywhere you look, bold style statements are replacing demure dressing. The applauded “tackiness” of the Bezos-Sánchez wedding flaunted wealth through supersized rings and couture outfit changes. In-your-face trends like garish neon, freakish Labubus and conceptual peep-toe shoes are du jour. Perhaps the most talked-about entertainment event of the season is And Just Like That, a television series defined by its costuming nonsense.

Amid ongoing economic uncertainty, frugal shopping and general cultural ennui, quiet luxury—that of the Succession era, filled with The Row plainness and nondescript designs—is no longer the escapism that people want. Instead, what cuts through the noise is style splendour and bold effervescence. A twirly Pucci pattern, not unlike an “LV” monogram or Burberry check, is instantly recognizable and, in many cases, it sparks joy. This may be the whole point.

With her flurry of contrasting prints and unnecessary scarves, my aunt always had a zeal for life. Through how she dressed alone, she showed she wasn’t afraid to wear her exuberance on her sleeve. She was loud, hilarious, a lover of Campari and obsessed with colour-blocking caftans. Her whimsy was unbridled and aspirational. These days, that’s a pretty alluring aesthetic.