EMILIO PUCCI DEBUTS ‘BIKINI BAR’ IN CANNES

Emilio Pucci is debuting its “Bikini Bar” project this week in Cannes, during the city’s film festival.

A traveling retail concept, the “Bikini Bar” consists of a colored beach changing room showcasing a limited-edition collection of bikinis, featuring triangle tops and briefs with adjustable straps, available in 19 exclusive prints. These include archival patterns, as well as the new Gazelle, Parasol and Libellula motifs.

Kicking off on the French Riviera, the “Bikini Bar” project will subsequently appear inside selected boutiques in other beach resort destinations, including Beirut, Capri, Mykonos, Taormina, Saint-Tropez and Porto Cervo.

The exclusive bikini capsule will also be available for a limited period at the Emilio Pucci online store.

Earlier this week, the brand inked a licensing agreement with Simonetta to launch a juniors’ collection targeting girls ages 0 to 14. It will bow for spring 2018 on June 22 at Palazzo Pucci, during the childrenswear trade show Pitti Bimbo.

The kids’ line will be distributed globally, available at the Emilio Pucci flagships and at its online store, as well as in select multibrand boutiques and department stores.

Pucci’s spring 2018 collection is being designed by an in-house team following Massimo Giorgetti’s exit last month. Giorgetti’s last collection as creative director was for resort 2018. It is understood that Pucci has already interviewed a host of candidates but has yet to settle on his successor. As reported, former Balenciaga designer Josephus Thimister is acting as a consultant on the spring 2018 collection.

The Pucci brand is controlled by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, which acquired it in 2002 for 38 million euros, or $35.9 million at average exchange rates that year. A range of fashion designers have worked with Pucci over the years, including Matthew Williamson, Christian Lacroix and Peter Dundas.

FROM WWD BY By Alessandra Turra