To future-proof the brand founded by her father, Laudomia Pucci moved its headquarters from Florence to a storied country estate.

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Photography by Wesley Cruz Villarica | Art Direction by Anton San Diego

Laudomia Pucci never envisioned herself at the helm of a fashion empire. As a young woman, she had planned to go into politics. Her plans were quashed, however, when her father, designer Emilio Pucci, insisted she should join the family business. “Back then, when you were born into a traditional Italian family with its own business, you didn’t have the option to choose your own career,” she says. “My father made the decision for me, but I eventually learnt to love fashion. It became my passion, too.” Laudomia spent two years working with Givenchy founder Hubert de Givenchy before joining Emilio at the fashion house, known for its vibrant, kaleidoscopic prints. At the age of 28, she stepped into the role of CEO to relieve her ailing father, who had founded his eponymous label in 1947.

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Photography by Wesley Cruz Villarica | Art Direction by Anton San Diego

For 60 years, the headquarters of the brand was the family’s ancestral home in Florence, Palazzo Pucci, which had been in the family since the 1400s when Emilio’s forebears were political advisers to the illustrious Medici family. In 1966 the Arno River flooded the grande dame, wiping out part of the designer’s workshop, and the palazzo suffered further flood damage in the decades that followed until, in 2012, Laudomia decreed that the headquarters would move to the family’s 600-hectare country estate, Villa di Granaiolo.

It took four years to restore the resplendent rural property, which is in the Tuscan town of Castelfiorentino, halfway between Florence and Pisa. “Some of my best childhood memories happened at Granaiolo,” says Laudomia. “I would spend much time lounging by the pool or riding horses with my friends. To renovate it into a space for Pucci as a brand was to give it another dimension.”

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Photography by Wesley Cruz Villarica | Art Direction by Anton San Diego

At Granaiolo, her father’s original designs, fabrics, sketches and photographs are stored in temperature-controlled rooms. Garments are hung in wooden closets painted with non-acid coats to avoid damage. Aside from being a home to the brand’s archives, Granaiolo is a place for students to learn new skills and experiment with their creativity. The grounds include a Talent Centre, a multipurpose space for training and conducting workshops.

Laudomia had a colourful childhood on the country estate. It was the site of legendary parties in the 1960s and ’70s and hosted various illustrious visitors, including members of the Kissinger and Von Furstenberg families. She remembers international models being photographed on the rooftop, thunderous applause after biannual fashion shows on the estate, her father working with bolts of striking printed fabric. “We, as children, perceive the environment we live in as what is ordinary,” she says. “Emilio Pucci the father, though strict, enjoyed spending time with his children. We were taught to ski, swim and ride; we were highly active. He also made sure we learnt to speak English. Emilio Pucci the designer was a tornado—highly particular when it came to details, eloquent when expressing his ideas, and so animated when at work.”

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Photography by Wesley Cruz Villarica | Art Direction by Anton San Diego

In 2000, French multinational luxury goods conglomerate LVMH acquired a majority stake in Pucci, but Laudomia still remains active as its image director. Last May, Villa di Granaiolo was a participant in Les Journées Particulières, an event that allows the public to see and experience the craftsmanship of the LVMH fashion houses. Guests had the opportunity to witness Pucci’s dress and pattern makers, designers and stylists at work. “Opening Granaiolo to opportunities such as this is a way for me to give back,” Laudomia says. “This way, Pucci takes part in contributing to the education of the young ones, who are full of enthusiasm and have all sorts of new ideas.”

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Photography by Wesley Cruz Villarica | Art Direction by Anton San Diego

Though LVMH now owns most of Pucci, Laudomia, in her own words, is representative of its continuing legacy. She treasures her role as the brand’s guardian, but at the same time is a staunch supporter of the need for constant evolution. “As the fashion world changes and evolves, we move forward with it, always making sure that we keep our sense of coherence and continuity intact,” Laudomia says. “Pucci must always stay true to itself.”


This article first appeared on hk.asiatatler.com