Camille Miceli’s journey and joie de vivre
From her beginnings at Alaïa to her current role as Artistic Director at PUCCI, discover the journey of Camille Miceli in her Disrupting Patterns Talk.
After an influential internship at Alaïa and a brief university stint, Camille Miceli joined Chanel, where she worked closely with Karl Lagerfeld for nearly eight years. A turning point occurred when she partnered with Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton to launch the ready-to-wear line, at first managing the communication then spacing to a more creative field and working on the accessories, in a collaboration on creative endeavors that lasted for more than a decade. She then moved to Dior for five years to design accessories and jewellery before returning to Louis Vuitton to lead its accessories division. Since 2021, Camille Miceli has been redefining PUCCI’s direction, focusing on a modern and ultra-contemporary approach to style and living.
Camille Miceli brings her joie de vivre to Pucci by amplifying the brand’s inherent spirit of fun and optimism, which she believes was embodied by Emilio Pucci himself. Inspired by his joyful lifestyle and vibrant designs, she seeks to emphasize this energy even more in her work. After the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Miceli felt it was important to create an experience that sparks joy and optimism, aligning with the positive, carefree attitude she admires in Italian culture. She highlights Italy’s upbeat spirit, where people face challenges with optimism. This positivity deeply influences her creative process.
Miceli explains her approach to Pucci’s fashion shows, which she decided deliberately to hold outside the traditional fashion calendar, likewise she chose to adopt the ‘’See now, buy now’’ model that allows the collection to be immediately available as soon as it is presented. At the beginning her focus was about creating experiences in places that reflected Pucci’s heritage and way of envisioning life, like in Capri. However, she then decided that it was time to showcase her work with full-fledged fashion shows based in locations that are close to the house DNA, like the first show that took place in Florence. The logic behind a sole show per year even resonates with her wish to avoid waste and overconsumption. Miceli emphasizes that the true star of the show is always the Pucci brand itself, and that Pucci’s ready-to-wear line remains core to the business, with women who wear Pucci daring to express themselves with confidence and boldness.
Miceli explains that her creative process has no set rules, drawing inspiration from a wide range of sources. These can be images, words, memories from summer in a Greek village, or art seen at events like the Venice Biennale. Even personal connections, such as a friend’s unique style, can inspire her collections. Reflecting on her experience working with icons like Karl Lagerfeld and Marc Jacobs, she emphasizes the importance of detail, recalling Marc’s philosophy that a luxurious garment should be as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside.
Camille Miceli’s vision is to expand Pucci’s association beyond resort wear and holiday destinations, aiming to make it part of everyday city life across all seasons—especially winter, and she notes that Emilio Pucci himself originally started with ski wear, which many do not realize. Important to her is also the idea of maintaining Pucci’s cross-generational appeal, stating that the brand is a family thing and can adapt through different ages, blending the influence of icons like Christy Turlington and Isabella Rossellini with the rich tapestry of Italian art and cinematic heritage.