RR331 Fall 2016 NYFW (Ralph Rucci)

In the words of the inimitable Jerry Herman... albeit with a few changes:
Well, Hello RUCCI
it’s so nice to have you back home where you belong
you are looking swell, RUCCI....
RUCCI don’t never go away again

And so it is that a master has returned to the fold ... but not quite. The interesting thing about it is while everyone is talking about see it and  buy it, that is what Mr. Rucci is doing albeit his is made to measure and dealing directly with his clients. In essence while everyone is blabbering about it, he has gone ahead and done it ... in a matter of speaking and of course in his own way.

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The deal is that these are not clothes than should hang in a department store as their beauty is far too subtle, too intrinsic and too tactile to just hang on a rail. These clothes are so laden with detail, with exquisite fabrications and so beyond what most consumers can possibly comprehend that they need to really be romanced and spoken of in a language that is foreign to most hyped brands as well as that client.

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Unquestionably, few images can truly capture these clothes especially since most were presented in black but these will have to do for now. Rucci has always raised the bar when it comes to discreet chic clothes, the appellation of soigne seems more appropriate here and no matter what you may have been per-conditioned to think , these clothes are not only for women of a certain age but they are for women of a certainly taste level. That being said, make no mistake, these clothes will not come cheaply but then again there are few who can hold a candle to a collection like this. By the way, the collection is quintessential Rucci in every way including all of his signatures.

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Be aware that all pieces will of course be available as you see it or customized in color and possibly minor “alterations” to the original just as it is in Haute Couture. If one examines these clothes in that context, Rucci’s clothes rise to a different plateau as well as well as to a different set of expectations and realization. There is no trend here, this is about clothes to own for years to come that never look dated… can you top that?

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By the way, the fabrications included gazar, hammered cashmere, sponge crepe, sable, cashmere double  face and silk velvet to name a few. Please take note of the sunburst seaming, the finish around a neck that appears as it was laser cut. There are fabrics that are hand painted, hand screened and most probably even further customized.

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Welcome back Ralph Rucci!

This excerpted from WWD February 16, 2016 edition …. In his own words….

Discussing his New York Fashion Week comeback, Rucci exuded a mix of calm

reflection and palpable excitement. It’s been a tumultuous few years for the

designer, known for his scrupulous, high-minded craftsmanship. In November

2014, he left the fashion house bearing his name, which he founded in 1994 and

which had its fair share of financial struggles through the years.

Rucci expressed a desire to move forward with a new sense of clarity.

“I’ve spent the past year thinking, How have I evolved after 34 years in this

fashion industry? What have I done, from being the only American to show couture in Paris….to creating luxury ready-to-wear [here in New York]? I’ve thought about what I’m best at and what I don’t know how to do well.

It’s as if I’m starting again as I started in 1980,” he said, citing a

“multiplicity of emotions.” Rucci’s new made-to-order collection will be composed of 17 looks — shown in all-black silhouettes, or “templates,”

which his clients can customize in other colors — as well as seven sable fur coats

made with the same Pologeorgis furrier he has worked with for 20 years. The furs

will be offered unlined; Rucci painted on the inside of each sable pelt with

black ink.

Though in the past the designer has done up to 60 looks in a single collection,

he aimed to create a streamlined wardrobe with RR331, hence the presentation’s

tight edit. “I wanted each piece to be perfect for what it means in that area;

whether it’s a raincoat, a tunic, a great looking dress or a terrific mohair jumpsuit,” he said. “Evening wear [includes] some very exciting pieces; one look is

screened with the neck and face of a Pina Bausch dancer, another with the torques of a Richard Serra sculpture.”

The debut also marks a flurry of collaborations, such as stretch suede and satin

shoes designed with Jean-Michel Cazabat and sculptural visors by the milliner Philip Treacy.

As for the label’s RR331 moniker, “331” signifies the number of rituals in the elaborate Japanese tea ceremony known as “chado” — the brand was

formerly known as Chado Ralph Rucci, of course — and is meant to symbolize

Rucci’s exacting, procedural approach to clothing design. He tapped digital artist

Pascal Dangin to conceive the label’s branding.

Surrounding the presentation will be a 70-foot-long piece of artwork made from

10 of Rucci’s individual panel paintings, meant to illustrate the collection’s developmental process. “The paintings, the fur, the clothes; it’s all unified. The way I approach fashion is where I am at this moment. It’s provocative and timeless,” he said, expressing an immediate distaste for the word “timeless.”

Price points will be comparable to those of high-end American luxury designers, though he shied away from specifics. He characterized his new business model as one part luxury ready-to wear, two parts made-to-order. “The rest

comes after that — my furniture, paintings, furs and accessories,” he added.

“Might I get into less expensive stuff eventually? Who knows. I’m not going to catch myself with giving predictions.”

Rucci chalked up his evolution to a “complete, spiritual devotion” to his craft.

“Thirty-four years ago, I thought, Where will I be? What will I do? I had all these

ambitions. Now, almost 35 years later, I’m running around through the streets of the Garment [District] and I am myself again. I am enjoying the process of picking up a zipper,” he said. “If this work brings you one thing, it’s the recognition of humility…. That’s how we proceed further [inthis business]. If that doesn’t stay in your head, you’ve lost all.”