What is Pucci if not a burst of whimsy, reminiscent of chatting with a stranger on the beach with a spritz? For the brand’s inaugural Art Basel Miami Beach partnership, Pucci wrapped sidewalks and pillars in their signature print leading to the main fair entrance. Evoking the kind of indulgence and wildness that should be experienced while wearing breezy resort-wear, art director Camille Miceli conceptualized a living installation of the brand’s heritage. Her goal was to take Pucci’s unmistakable essence—as best captured by their kaleidoscopic prints—and bring them to life as a temporary spatial microcosm, delivering the Pucci Fun Fair.

On Tuesday, December 5th, Pucci celebrated the installation with an elite event to welcome curious guests to the circus that is Miami. Down a dark candle lit pathway through lush tropical gardens, guests reached a bright opening, where a greeter exclaimed, “Ciao, welcome to Pucci!” The greeting coincided with an immersive explosion of the brand’s signature swirls in abundance, creating a fantastical playground under a ribbon canopy.

Left: Photography by Sina Nasseri. Right: Photography by Lucas Possiede.

Photography by Lucas Possiede.

Some things just make sense, like Pucci curating a sensory bacchanal. The event reveled in excess, marrying La Dolce Vita with the lush gleam of Miami’s seductive underbelly to enliven the resort lifestyle. Guests took the playful theme to heart by dressing head-to-toe in anarchic prints to compete in rounds of Pucci themed-darts and to toss Pucci soccer balls. Others lounged on Pucci beach chairs that were scattered between a myriad of pattern wrapped food carts. Fare included cotton candy, gelato served in waffle cones dyed the brand’s signature black, purple, and pink, a bounty of pistachio-crusted cannolis, bombolons made fresh on tiered trays, a fresh pasta booth with options including a red sauce and a zucchini dish reminiscent of the famed spaghetti alla Nerano, a popcorn stand in with fresh popped caramel corn in Pucci cups, and Aperol spritz satellite bars. The event wasn’t risking being remembered as anything less than a haven for gluttons for chic snacks. While idle hands were never a concern, a mentalist named Mio was roving through the crowd engaging with those who perhaps didn’t have a plus one. Not only would he flawlessly show the card you pulled from his deck, he would guess the longest word of your choosing from a random Wikipedia page. A line snaked through the maze of activity and printed bean bags for readings from a tarot reader who sat under palm fronds.

Left: Photography by Sina Nasseri. Right: BFA Image.

Photography by Sina Nasseri.

Fitting for a week dedicated to celebrating artistry and the artistic market in equal measure, the Pucci Fun Fair epitomized the brand’s avant-garde spirit, while imbuing Miami with a dash of Italy. Further homage to the brand’s mid-century heyday came from the dancefloor with italo-disco DJed throughout the night with a backdrop of supercut videoclips of dancers in Pucci catsuits.

While visitors to Art Basel Miami Beach are thrust into luxury experiential activations and market driven conversations, the Pucci Fun Fair reminds us to not take it all so seriously. At the art fair, consumption is ruled by calculated determinations, but at the Pucci Fun Fair, consumption is a testament to unadulterated freedom and concentrated pleasures.