Emilio Pucci’s daughter on her long history with Hong Kong and her favourite spots in Florence
Fashion royalty Laudomia Pucci, who was recently in town for the second edition of Fashion Asia, reveals a few hidden gems in her hometown of Florence
The urban jungle that is Hong Kong couldn’t be more different to the Renaissance palazzos, cobbled streets and manicured gardens of Florence, something that Laudomia Pucci is quick to point out when we meet for an afternoon chat in The Upper House hotel.
“I’ve been coming here for 20 years; it’s an amazing city and a real hub for Asia. I love it,” says the Florence-born fashion heiress. “But as an Italian, I’m very sensitive to nature and the respect of it and I don’t like this idea of reclaiming land. I understand that Hong Kong is always developing but it feels strange that they’re taking over the harbour and building on the water.”
“She’s an amazing woman,” says Laudomia Pucci. “And when in the 80s there was a renaissance for the brand, a kind of newfound Pucci mania, Ma was the first to come back to us. And as a member of the second generation of the family, I started working with her myself, so there’s always been a strong bond between the city and the company and me.”
Pucci, who lives in her native Tuscany and often commutes by train to the company headquarters in Milan, is deeply attached to the roots of the brand that her father established and has recently opened its archives to the public. Housed in the historic Palazzo Pucci, in the heart of Florence, and in a private museum in the nearby countryside, the bright printed dresses and swimwear that have made Pucci a household name are a source of pride.
