Florence is celebrating 20th-century fashion icon Emilio Pucci as part of a two-week event devoted to the Tuscan city's most famous figures.
Pucci's distinctive bold, brightly coloured prints will be the focus of two days' festivities this weekend, as the Tuscan city remembers the aristocrat who gained worldwide renown after falling into fashion by chance.
Palazzo Medici will be festooned with a series of coloured balloon installations marking the 60 years since Pucci set up his first fashion house, the Pucci Maison.
Created by French set designer Jean-Francois Chalot, the patterns draw on Pucci's trademark pallet of vivid colours.
A light-set by Felice Limosani will illuminate the outside of Palazzo Medici in a changing display each night, another tribute to Pucci's love of colour.
Meanwhile, Pucci's first Florentine boutique will be reopened for the weekend, displaying several of his original pieces.
Born into a noble Florentine family in 1914, Pucci was fascinated by politics and sport. He studied political science, eventually receiving a doctorate in 1941, and was a member of the Italian Olympic ski team in 1934.
His performance there won him a ski scholarship to study in Oregon, where he made his first foray into fashion by designing the school team's uniforms.
But it wasn't until 1947, when ski outfits he made for himself and a friend attracted the attention of a photographer for Harper's Bazaar magazine, that he seriously turned his sights to design, creating his first complete line of skiwear.
The attention he received from the magazine feature encouraged him to open a boutique on the island of Capri, where he became well known for his geometric, kaleidoscopic patterns and often clashing colours.
His prints appeared on silk dresses and tight, stretchy materials, including his famous Capri pants, a design that has enjoyed a revival in recent years.
French legendary stylist Christian Dior once dubbed the Italian nobleman "a fashion genius".
His daughter Laudomia, who took over the line when Pucci died in 1992, described his work as: "maximalist in colour but minimalist in form".
Although Laudomia is still the company's chief image consultant, the brand was acquired by France's Louis Vuitton-Moet-Hennessy Group in 2000.
Designers who have worked under the Pucci brand since then include Julio Espada and Christian Lacroix. British designer Matthew Williamson replaced Lacroix as creative director last year.
Today, Pucci clothes and accessories continue to feature either original or new prints in Emilio Pucci's own distinctive style.
A gala event on Saturday evening will pay homage to Pucci's life, with top figures from the international fashion world, while his family's country residence of Villa Granaiolo, some 40 kilometres north of Florence, will host the launch of the latest Pucci fragrance on Sunday - 40 years after the designer's first perfume, Vivara, was unveiled.
Florence is celebrating a series of renowned figures - including Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and film and theatre director Franco Zeffirelli - in its "Florentine Genius" event, which runs until May 27.
"Florentine Genius" will also feature a variety of musical, film, archaeological and historic re-enactment events.
