District L

Under the reign of Peter Dundas, Pucci seems to have abandoned it's florid Florentine roots in favor of a more...conventional approach? Austere approach? We don't even know what to label it. These are some of the "highlights" from the February 28th showing in Milan:

Exhibit A- Pucci is about color. Screaming color worked into equally aggressive prints that are absolutely impossible to miss; a Pucci window display stands out like Steven Cojocaru in Amish Country. So what's the deal with this edgy, metallic, black, techno-industrial number?

Exhibit B- Eagles? Emblems? What is this, Rugby by Ralph Lauren? Note- this is the only piece in the collection to incorporate this motif. So much for continuity.

Exhibit C- A black tube dress with a blue motif beaded trim. Black tube dress. Need we say more?

Exhibit D- This is getting better, but this is about as good as it gets. In pieces like this, where Dundas made some attempt to reincorporate classic Pucci-esque elements back into the collection, the prints still came across as very rigid and constrained.

Exhibit E- In instances where Dundas actually went full out with prints, such as the look above, they didn't feel quite right. We understand what he was trying to do; but when you think Pucci you think of the Braniff AirStrip, not baroque motifs and heraldic symmetry in colors taken straight from the wallpaper of the Pitti Palace.

Maybe this was an inherently Scandinavian design sensibility (Dundas is Norwegian...) trying to nudge it's way into the collection? Whatever the reason, it didn't translate well into Pucci-speak. Better luck next time Peter.

Photos from Style.com

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Photos from Style.com