Born: Rome, Italy, 1929
An expert in sculptural shape and circular form, Roberto Capucci was one of the first post-Second World War Italian couturiers to enjoy international fame. In 1961 Vogue described Capucci’s crisp, abbreviated shift: ‘Nothing more than stark, elegant shapes with hems cropped daringly short – designed to make women look outrageously young yet mondaine.’
After spending a decade designing in Rome, Capucci moved to Paris with the backing of a Florentine businessman and opened his own salon on rue Cambon. He returned to Rome six years later to resume his experimentalism and open another salon on Via Gregoriana. Capucci’s designs are not just about his use of fabric; he has also incorporated ribbons, pebbles and quilting to enhance his organic forms.
