Fausto Puglisi’s Fall/Winter 2025 collection arrived with uncanny timing, debuting just one day after archeologists in Naples revealed newly unearthed frescoes depicting Dionysus, the Roman god of wine and revelry, in a Pompeii-era banquet hall. The Sicilian-born designer, renowned for infusing cultural narratives into his work, positioned the collection as a dialogue between antiquity and modernity, blurring the line between archeological discovery and fashion innovation.
“I’ve been obsessed with Pompeii since childhood,” Puglisi said, recalling a formative family trip to the ancient city. “It’s a paradox—frozen in time yet strikingly contemporary.” The collection’s centerpiece was a series of evening gowns and tailored separates featuring prints inspired by Pompeii’s iconic frescoes, reimagined in bold, saturated hues: volcanic reds, lapis lazuli blues, and gold leaf metallics. Garments were layered with intricate beadwork evoking mosaics, while exaggerated silhouettes—voluminous sleeves and asymmetric hems—echoed the drama of Roman statuary.
The coincidence of the collection’s timing was no accident, according to Puglisi, who has long drawn inspiration from Sicily’s Greco-Roman heritage and travels the Mediterranean documenting architectural details. Mood boards in his studio included photos of Pompeii’s House of the Vettii, where the Dionysus frescoes were found, alongside snapshots of Palermo’s Byzantine mosaics and Tunisian marble floors. “I’m not just copying history,” he emphasized. “I’m translating its energy into something alive.”
Industry critics praised the collection’s technical rigor and conceptual depth, noting that Puglisi’s use of digital printing and 3D embroidery techniques breathed new life into ancient motifs. Accessories, such as bronze-effect cuffs and gladiator-style sandals, further anchored the theme, while a finale of flowing white dresses, splashed with abstract volcanic patterns, symbolized rebirth—a nod to Pompeii’s phoenix-like legacy.
The collaboration between fashion and archeology underscores a growing trend in luxury, with brands like Gucci and Bottega Veneta increasingly mining cultural patrimony for creative inspiration. For Puglisi, however, the connection runs deeper: “Fashion is an artifact of our time. By revisiting Pompeii, we’re not just honoring the past—we’re reflecting on how ancient values of beauty and excess resonate today.”
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