Text, Vivian G. Kelly
Images, Dan Lecca, courtesy of Mercedes-Benz
TIME/PLACE: 6:30PM, at the big Tent at Bryant Park, NYC
Welcome back to New York, Ralph!
It’s Ralph Rucci’s time, in fact, the last few years, he’s become increasingly appreciated – finally – by the powers that be in fashion. Proof of this, Mercedes-Benz has selected him as the recipient of the MERCEDES-BENZ DESIGNER PRESENTS 2009 AWARD, a fitting honor, as Ralph himself says that dovetails nicely with his return to the New York runways after showing for 2 seasons in Paris.
When we interviewed Mr. Rucci years ago for a feature that ran in Lucire Magazine,
We asked him what single piece you had to own if you could only have 1 piece of Ralph Rucci. His answer was, “a trench coat”.
This answer still holds true years later, his silk faille rain jacket is a basic for the girl who appreciates quiet luxury and the silver mylar rain jacket’s just the thing for the woman who likes to be noticed.
WHAT’S SO SPECIAL?
Rucci is about construction, and perfection. His clothes are of the ilk of that perfect little “nothing” dress that Hubert de Givenchy so famously designed for Audrey Hepburn for the many films they collaborated on together.
RUN IMAGE
By constructed, we don’t mean that his silhouettes are boxy or masculine. There’s elaborate cutout work, slashing and hand sewing and the clothes fit in all the right places.
There was a black wool cutout jacket that was as far removed for the Gothy Elvira cutout/cobweb pieces as the Earth is from the planet Pluto.
COLOR
The palette, at least for evening, was 99% black, according to Ralph, as he said in an interview found on www.myitthings.com/FashionWeek
In accordance with the gloomy and scary world situation we’re currently in.
Metallics have been on the scene for some time now but they looked new when done in ivory and coral silk radzmir. We’ve been bombarded with paillettes on dresses, but Rucci used matte pailettes, and that made all the difference.
THE CLASSICS
There were the trenches and the inset dresses in black we’ve come to expect as well as a black matte jersey caftan that a woman could wear when she’s working on working her way down to her perfect size.
THE ARTIST
The white silk and paillete tube dress was interesting and reminded us of a Mark Rothko and the hand painted gowns that followed were of Rucci’s own design and showed his prowess as the multi media artist he is.
We’ve never not come away from a Rucci collection disappointed and there was a twist here – a strong Red Carpet element. The final few dresses were something stylists like Phillip Bloch sitting front row may be seriously considering dressing his celebrity clients in come Oscar season.
The Ralph Rucci Showroom is located at 536 Broadway, Sixth Floor, NYC
Tel: 212-819-9066