Florentine Designers To Visit While In Florence - Part I

Now that you know where to go for bargains in Florence, it seems only fitting to discuss some of the greatest and most important designers to come from the city. Most are still headquartered there and Florence's history is intimately connected to clothing and design. It is, of course, well-known that Florence was a great art centre in the Renaissance but its wealth, which allowed for the production of all that art, came, in part, from the roaring wool and silk trade of the Middle Ages. The rise of the Medici from merchants to almost-kings led to their becoming taste-makers and influencers, the first fashionistas, if you will.

Lorenzo the Magnificent is even credited with making wearing black cool and Eleonora, Cosimo I's wife, made opulent dressing into something more akin to an art. Find a luxury villa in Florence, check out these designers and take in the history of being fashionable in the city.

Emilio Pucci, is the first name that springs to mind, especially after mentioning the Medici as he was born into one of the oldest noble families in Florence. Pucci's eponymous brand was established when he left the air force to dedicate his career to fashion.

His clothes were known for being bright and colourful with geometric prints, generally realised in stretchy fabrics. Silk scarves are another of the brands iconic mainstays.

In the 1960s, with the patronage of Marilyn Monroe, Pucci's clothes gained large levels of recognition abroad and other style icons such as Jackie Kennedy, Sophia Loren and Madonna would all come to wear his clothes. The headquarters of the brand are still located in the Palazzo Pucci in Florence to this day though Pucci sadly passed away in 1992. His daughter kept the label alive and designers such as Matthew Williamson have since headed the brand.

Ferragamo is a label that made the family which owned it so influential and wealthy that they are often called the “modern day Medici”. They not only continue to own the shoe brand which made their wealth but they also own properties and hotels throughout the city. Monroe was also a fan of Salvatore Ferragamo's designs and he also counted Audrey Hepburn among his admirers. Born in the south of Italy, he established the label in Florence in 1927 and it is still located in the Palazzo Spini Feroni there today, with a museum dedicated to the brand in the basement. Not only can you visit Ferragmo stores on a trip to Florence, but you can see the museum and get a real sense of its history and importance as well.

If you are interested in fashion or history, Florence's big design houses are an intrinsic part of its identity and deserve attention from anyone visiting the city. Be sure to pay them their dues on your next trip and keep an eye out for the second post on Florentine designers soon!