Born in Rome, Italy on December 2 1930, Roberto Capucci burst on the fashion scene as a twenty year old boy wonder. Upon graduating from Rome’s prestigious Accademia delle Belle Arti in 1950, he went to work for pioneering designer Emilio Shuberth. There his styles caught the eye of a Florentine businessman who decided to include a group of Capucci’s garments at an upcoming fashion show. The other couturiers, jealous and intimidated by the unknown upstart, banned him from the runway to prevent being outshined. News of this catty maneuver and the brilliance of its victim quickly spread; the next day the press demanded to see Capucci’s creations. The beautiful gowns immediately sold out and a star was born. Riding the success of his unofficial debut, he opened his own house that very year and would continue to make his presence felt at Italy’s most distinguished fashion shows until his retirement in 1980.
Calling his designs a “study in form,” Capucci’s work has always had an architectural quality that rejects the traditional silhouette. Using his mastery of textiles, color, and cut, he manipulates fabric to create gravity defying sculptural forms. His designs reject the constraint of what is momentarily fashionable, choosing instead to make items he feels are eternally beautiful - regardless of the era or setting.
Capucci’s years in art school and his interaction with Rome’s young avant-garde clearly had an early and obvious effect on his iconoclastic style. One can see his admiration for the Italian Futurists in the geometric lines and planes at play in his designs and in his use of color to add dimension and visual effects. Perhaps the most prominent characteristic passed on from the Futurists, is the strong sense of movement and dynamism in Capucci gowns. For some garments, it is as if a gust of wind has suddenly swept through, engulfing the wearer in whirls of silk and taffeta. Others give the sense that you are look at them from a moving car, the colors a blur.
In a rare interview, Capucci proclaimed “Nature is my mentor” and this sentiment is clearly evident. From undulating hemlines that echo the ocean’s waves to the meticulous recreation of swirling rose petals, Capucci pays tribute to his muse in almost every collection.
Uncomfortable with the financial pressure and the self-promotion that is inherent in the fashion industry, Capucci resigned from full-time duties in 1980. He continues to design, but approaches his work from an artistic standpoint free of the business constraints of the industry. Capucci’s transition has been very successful and his art has been exhibited in respected museums across the world. He has made sporadic returns, the most recent in 2007 to design the official uniforms of India’s Jet Airways.
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