The art of luxury craftsmanship has laid the backbone of Tuscan goods for thousands of years. Literally. The ancient Etruscans molded pottery for bowls and plates. Renaissance jewelry makers smithed gold and diamonds to fill Medici coffers in Florence. A city pulsating with history, art and design, it is no wonder that Kimberly Pucci’s luxury, sustainable fashion brand found its roots in the famous Tuscan capital.
Pucci, who studied English at the University of Rhode Island, always found her heart in the culture of the Romance Languages. With a background in art history, Pucci learned Spanish and Italian before deciding to go to the world of luxury fashion’s birthplace: Florence itself, where she lived for a study abroad program and ended up staying for 17 years.
“When I landed in Florence, I was stopped in my tracks,” Pucci said. “I could not believe that in every corner and on every street, all I could find was beauty.”
After returning from the study abroad program, Pucci graduated from the University of Rhode Island, packed a bag and hopped on the first flight back to Florence. There, Pucci worked as a nanny for a couple who owned a Florentine leather shop, and subsequently found her first introduction to leather. From then, Pucci became a sponge, absorbing every craft that came her way. That included falling in love with her first fashion passion: jewelry.
“From gold design to craftsmanship, creation, stones, stone settings and the jewelry market, I fell in love with all of it and was constantly surrounded by the best Italian jewelers that were known to mankind,” said Pucci.
Everything Pucci learned in Italy 25 years ago from original Tuscan craftsmen, she incorporates into her collections today. With that said, Pucci became the talk of the town this summer when she met Serena Williams at an event in the Hamptons hosted by the 1640 Society. At that event, Williams fell in love with the Niccolo Bag designed by Pucci, as she mentioned to her that as a busy mom, she was a lover of large, oversized bags without zippers so she could take things out in a hurry.
“I am extremely honored and humbled that one of the most inspirational female tennis players in the world decided to wear a Kimberly Pucci tote bag on her first day of what was officially her last U.S. Open,” said Pucci. “This put the brand front and center stage, not only at one of the most renowned sporting events in the world, but all eyes were on Serena because she knew her power as well as her impact on the world by wearing my bag and for that, I am truly blessed.”
Her encounter with Williams wasn’t the end of the hype, as she was a featured designer at the leading award-winning event The Nolcha Shows for New York Fashion Week (NYFW) “I feel this show was very special,” said Pucci. “As a designer and someone who loves the Earth, I am constantly looking for ways to create a brand that is beautiful but also luxurious and setting the standards for luxury craftsmanship for the future.”
The inspiration behind the collections presented at the Nolcha Shows recalled glorious Tuscan sunsets touched with Florentine gold, glimmering hues of the Mediterranean as the brand navigates the crystal-clear Sardinian Archipelago and the cool monumental marble of ancient Roman pillars that still stand in their glory throughout the Eternal City.
With client-needs put first, the brand contributes to decreasing waste in fashion, a notoriously wasteful industry. For Pucci, slow fashion is the heart of the luxury goods crafted for a bespoke wearing experience on an individual level, making not only quality a top priority, but sustainability and respect for the environment, craftsmen and Tuscan traditions.
“Kimberly Pucci is not only an impeccably created luxury goods line,” explained Pucci, “But it is a brand designed in the U.S. with strong ties to Tuscan heritage.”
Overall, Pucci has other projects in the works with private residences, hotel groups that embrace slow and sustainable travel with accessories such as travel bags, gifts, hotel décor, a branded image through the art of travel and living, and so much more.
“I am super excited about a number of things that I have in the wheelhouse,” concluded Pucci. To keep up with Pucci and her upcoming projects, follow her on Instagram over at @kimberly.pucci.
