IT ALL started with a Pucci scarf - and in the world of Italian design what better inspiration could there be? From one beautiful scarf a whole new Hotel Savoy has been born. Following a six-month closure, the legendary hotel reopened its doors late last month, and looks fashion fabulous. Draping the Grand Dame of Florence’s Piazza della Repubblica in Pucci inspired design is a match made in heaven. The common areas of the hotel are now dressed to impress, with colour complimenting architecture in dazzling new interiors.
“It always starts with a scarf,” said Laudomia Pucci, Emilio Pucci’s daughter and image director of the Florentine fashion house. The collaboration with Rocco Forte Hotels and designer Olga Polizzi is a first for Pucci and its success hits you the moment you walk through the doors. The hotel entrance and lobby have been reinstated to their original grandeur, with five metre high corniced ceiling and columns. Washed in a white palette the grand lobby is the perfect space for pops of Pucci colour; pink, blue and black. All the colours indeed that appeared on the scarf Pucci designed to get the creative juices flowing, emblazoned with images of Hotel Savoy and Piazza Della Repubblica. The colours of the scarf flow over into custom-designed furniture, cushions, artwork (by Luca Pignatelli) and a hand-woven carpet which features the iconic Lamborghini print from the Emilio Pucci Archives. Working with local artisans Polizzi has also created a new look for the guest rooms and suites (reduced from 102 to 80) which gives a sense of calm and tranquillity and combines luxurious fabrics and eclectic art in a way that only Italians can. The new Duomo Presidential Suite, for example, is a mix of marble, parquetry and hand-painted dendritic wallpaper, with handcrafted furnishings from Italian brands such as Chelini Firenze, Il Bronzetto and C&C Milano. Vintage knick-knacks that Polizzi handpicked at Florence’s Mercato dei Pulci dot the coffee tables add shelves. “The Savoy is a reflection of the personality of the city,” says Polizzi. “Florence is fun—she’s the whimsical, naughty, younger sister of Rome.” The Grand View Suites have also been re-imagined with a floral, sylvan theme on the leafy wallpaper, together with Florentine artefacts, bespoke furniture and luxurious fabrics. Each of the four Grand View Suites has a large classical statue from ceramicist Ceccarelli – one for each of the four seasons.
As for the Pucci scarf that started it all - you can now find its sisters encased in the glass table tops on the terrace of the hotel’s Irene restaurant.
Hilary Doling 30/4/18
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