Born in 1930, designer Roberto Capucci had already made a name for himself in the fashion world by the tender age of 20. He opened his first couture salon in Rome in 1950, and gained immediate recognition for his stylish, architectural designs. In 1956, Christian Dior called the young designer a prodigy, and “the best creator of Italian fashion.” By 1957, Capucci’s fashion had become one of the most popular European brands in the U.S. after his geometric dress above was featured in an iconic Cadillac ad. In 1962, the fashion icon moved to Paris, where he created some of his most unusual designs, incorporating materials like raffia, plastic, straw, sacking, and Plexiglas. After six successful years in Paris, Capucci moved back to his native Italy, and continued to work well into his advanced years.
“I don’t consider myself a tailor or a designer but an artisan looking for ways of creating, looking for ways to
– Roberto Capucci
express a fabric to use it as a sculptor uses clay.”
It’s immediately apparent in Capucci’s work that he disliked typical silhouettes and preferred creating his own unexpected shapes. An art critic once described Capucci’s work as “soft medieval armor.” The designer had a magnificent way of looking at fashion, employing not just innovative shapes but also new uses of color. His Oceano sculpture-dress, for example, exhibited at the Italian pavilion of the Lisbon Expo in 1992, featured 172 shades of blue.
You can see more of Roberto Capucci’s amazing fashion on Instagram and Google.
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March 17, 2021 at 7:15 am
Amazing
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March 17, 2021 at 7:45 pm
So wonderful. I tried on a couple of his gowns in Bergdorf Goodman in the mid eighties (just for fun, which was not particularly fun for the snooty sales lady.) I have never felt more fabulous!
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March 18, 2021 at 3:43 am
I bet!
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March 17, 2021 at 8:34 am
Rope? Might be a tad heavy.
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March 17, 2021 at 7:45 pm
No doubt, but it sure was interesting!
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March 17, 2021 at 11:45 am
I know that Jan (my wife) would not wear any to Walmart they are beautiful. Busy day but I guess he did sell some of them so I am not going to research how much one sold for. Hal
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March 17, 2021 at 7:46 pm
The ones I looked at in 1985 were somewhere between $1-2K. I was in no danger of buying one. Not then, and not now.
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March 18, 2021 at 5:43 am
I keep coming back to these. Did he design them to be worn or just displayed? Were any ever purchased? Having a small limited knowledge from working in Hollywood, some of the females rent a dress just to wear one night. Did he ‘rent’ them out ever? I remember I rented my Tux for my wedding in 1961. Do they still do that today? Hal
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March 19, 2021 at 1:48 pm
There is a thriving formal clothing rental market in NYC. (Maybe less during Covid). His clothes were meant to be worn, but like most haute couture designers, there was the crazy runway version, then the more wearable version that went into stores.
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March 18, 2021 at 3:49 pm
How unique! My favorite is the pink patchwork.
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March 19, 2021 at 1:49 pm
That one is amazing!
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