Born to one of Florence’s oldest regal families, Italian skier and stylish marquis Emilio Pucci unexpectedly began his fashion career in 1947 — when he designed a streamlined ski outfit for a female friend. He then opened a boutique on the glamorous island of Capri, dedicated to simple yet beautiful resort clothing. Inspired by exotic cultures and the Mediterranean’s beauty, Pucci had an eye for rich, luscious colour and created his own graphic, abstract, kaleidoscopic-swirling signature prints. By the 1960s, he was known as the “Prince of Prints” and his designs enamoured a new generation of modern, active, sexy women. Pucci designed the line himself until his death in 1992. His daughter Laudomia Pucci then took over the business and by 2000, Pucci joined luxury group LVMH. With Laudomia as image director, Norwegian designer Peter Dundas has headed the creative direction since October 2008 — with exquisite results.