Ralph Rucci: The Maestro of the Fashion World

In the design world, creativity is the lifeblood and it runs deep in the veins of the artist who commands it. There are few still left on this planet who can manipulate designs and art into true haute couture, and Ralph Rucci is most certainly one of them.

Ralph Rucci, the maestro, was born and raised in Philadelphia. His first field of serious study was philosophy, at Temple University, a discipline which had a marked influence on his outlook and later creations.  After getting his degree, at 21, he moved to New York, and it was there he realized his passion was actually fashion design.  He began studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where he interned under some of the best designers in the industry, including Halston and Balenciaga — not bad credentials for a newcomer to the fashion world!

Rucci subsequently began designing luxury clothing and accessories, and the fashions he created and continues to create have been adored for decades. Rucci is a master of quiet seduction and surrounds himself with a certain mystique which he transfers to his designs; his innovative pieces have cast a spell over the media, which has critically acclaimed him, and his legion of admirers.

Rucci’s body of work has evolved, garment by garment, since 1981.  His use of only the most luxurious fabrics is his signature, along with his silhouettes and technical processes, many of which have been inspired by his love of oriental art forms. Chado is an art form, taken from a Japanese tea ceremony symbolizing respect, tranquility, exactness, and integrity, all hallmarks of a Rucci creation.

With the birth of the Chado Ralph Rucci brand came new standards for the luxury fashion community: designs with an artistic twist, which quickly became a favorite of society mavens and fashionistas.  Indeed, Rucci both sculpts and paints his creations, bringing his own distinctive view to the fashion world.  He believes in the purity of a design and exalts in the pleasure of bringing it to life as an evocation of the best of each woman’s personality.  Fashion critics have lauded his dedication to elegance and detail and his works have even been collected by numerous notable art museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.  A documentary film on his life and work, narrated by Martha Stewart, was shown on the Sundance Channel in 2008.  He has been nominated for and received many fashion awards, which recognize his skill and vision.  The French early apprehended his merit, inviting him to show haute couture in Paris, the first American in sixty years to do so.

Ralph Rucci’s raison d’être is his unabated passion for his work and desire to create true art in his clothing and these qualities have established his reputation with his peers, critics, and the public.  He still believes in experimentation in the designing process and never limits himself to only one way of doing. Rucci is a true fashion artist, creating simple yet elegant architectural forms and then adorning them with beautiful colors.

In his brilliant 2013 Spring Collection, Rucci seems to be going back to the flared skirt, to which he adds those grand touches which permeate all of his designs.  As only a very few can do, he flatters the waist and embellishes the lines to give an idealistic shape to the wearer. He adds wide sleeves and straight leg pants to complete his novel yet still classic creations.  His satin and silk designs are particularly appealing.  Throughout, his colors are bold and bright whites, pinks, yellows, blacks, and oranges.  Add all this to the fine fabrics he has chosen which move and flow with the wearer and you have a collection befitting a genius, Ralph Rucci.