Pucci (Paper) Patterns, 1956–73

Abstract

Established in 1947, the house of Pucci is best known for its iconic prints. Yet even before the Puccimania of the Swinging Sixties, commercial sewing patterns were an important part of Pucci’s popular reception. Over the course of almost two decades, Emilio Pucci licensed his fashion designs with American pattern companies including the McCall Corporation and the Vogue Pattern Service, the independent offshoot of Vogue magazine. This preliminary overview documents how Pucci’s work was represented and marketed to home dressmakers during this period (1956–73). A look at vintage Pucci patterns in context shows how this designer licensing intersects not only with trends in luxury sportswear and textile development but also changing ideas of leisure, modernity, and Italian fashion.