Emilio Pucci!

Once upon a time, corporate uniforms could have some pizzazz, such as the flight staff uniforms designed by Emilio Pucci for the Braniff International airline. Pucci (Marchese Emilio Pucci di Barsento, to use his full name) was more responsible than anyone else for shaping and guiding the wild styles of 1960s psychedelic fashion, having already produced glorious printed clothing throughout the 50s. This tie's label reads "Emilio Pucci for Pistons Asso" and includes such telltale Pucci-isms as the stylized "EP" logo in a white oval on the front of the tie, and his signature repeated in a white band on the tail end. (Pistons Asso, as far as I can tell, is a manufacturer of pistons for small engines.) This is a minor Pucci, with little of the brilliant colors and flowing designs that characterize his best (and best-known) ties, but there are hints: the magenta highlight stripes, the fine mosaic work inside the larger stripes, and the freeform waviness of the stripes themselves. I can't afford major Puccis, but I have a couple fixer-uppers that I hope to display in due time. Stay tuned!