Fashion History 101: Ralph Rucci

As summer is coming to an end, and the season is changing into fall (Yay, my favorite fashion season!), I’d like to pay homage to a designer who helped spark the fashion gene inside of me and nurtured it grow into something much bigger. You see, whenever I first started studying fashion in NYC, the first designer collection that I ever witnessed at the world renowned Metropolitan Museum was Ralph Rucci.

His collections are filed under the name Chado Ralph Rucci, but he wasn’t a designer that I knew the way I did Coco Chanel and Michael Kors. Through Fashion History Classes, I learned that he is recognized as one of (possibly the only) American couturier by the CFDA. (Council of Fashion Designers of America) This is a HUGE accomplishment and something that many American designers strive for and never reach.

If you are curious about the true definition of a couturier, it  literally comes from a french word mean “to sew.” For something to be considered to be couture, the clothing must meet the following stipulations:

• it must be produced in small quantities
• it must only utilize hand-sewing techniques (no sewing machines allowed here)
• it must be sized specifically to fit a specific individual’s body (1)

Yes, I pulled out one of my old fashion textbooks so that I got these worded  just right! With labels such as Juicy Couture and Romeo and Juliet Couture on the market, I know this can be a little bit confusing, but this is how true couture is determined and recognized by the CFDA.

Anyways, the collection that was shown was outstanding, breathtaking, and was an accurate depiction of his true mastery of his craft. This Pennsylvania native originally started doing women’s Ready to Wear collections more than twenty-five years ago and didn’t start his couture collection until 2002. His first collection was shown in Paris and was, of course, a huge hit. (2)

I suppose that one additional aspect that pulls me so greatly to this designer is how well he understands a woman’s body. He is quoted as stating, “In my workroom, as in my thoughts, there is little difference between couture and ready-to-wear. What I find most important is that we strive to create a product that is empowering, and harmonious with the spiritual essence of a woman.” (2) This indeed makes me love him and his work just a little bit more!

Now, in 2012, many years after I was first “introduced” to this designer, I am very sad to read that his label was having some finanical difficulties. He had to cancel his most recently past Fashion Week show, and I can only hope that this situation will turn around for the avant garde thinker, designer, and artist. (3)

I am certainty sending positive vibes in Mr. Rucci’s direction, and will always be very excited to see what he may have in store for the future of the fashion world.

Who is your favorite fashion innovator and why? Comment below!

Fashionably Yours,

Allison

Source:

1. Burns, Leslie Davis., Kathy Mullett, and Nancy O. Bryant. The Business of Fashion. ; Designing, Manufacturing, and Marketing. N.p.: Fairchild, 2011. Print.

2. “Chado by Ralph Rucci.” Chado by Ralph Rucci. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Aug. 2012. <http://www.thefashioninsider.com/biographies/281.html?lang=EN>.

3. “Report: Designer Ralph Rucci on Verge of Bankruptcy.” NBC New York. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Aug. 2012. <http://www.nbcnewyork.com/blogs/threadny/THREAD-Report-Designer-Ralph-Rucci-on-Verge-of-Bankruptcy-139525123.html>.