With over 30 years in the business, what Ralph Rucci wears is a living treasure trove of fashion history. It’s not that designers are stuck in the past, it’s that they’re stuck in the past. Rucci’s decision to include a pink look in his fall
collection may not have been motivated by Barbie mania, but it was. At the same time, his ultra-luxury “ski parka” is related to the couture “jeans” we saw in Paris, and the concept of tailoring needs not only glitz and glamour, but also echoes the whole fashion with casual/sportswear status.
Still, for the fashion history nerd, it was a little exciting to hear the backstory of the look 18—a black silk crepe turtleneck and Pants with micro horn beaded scarf and black tulle cape with crushed duchess satin fringe. “It’s been on my mind ever since I met Mrs. Freeland in Holston,” Rucci said. “Do you remember when Mrs. Freeland would wear a black turtleneck and black trousers, and tie a red wool jersey triangle scarf around her neck and hips? That was her uniform.” He gave the look his latest int. The designer notes that these two scarves are an easy way to “live up your wardrobe.” (You can even try this version at home.)
Rucci’s signature techniques, including knotting and hanging, are employed throughout the collection. “I’m always [thinking about] how the hand can technically manipulate a piece of clothing so that, not to appear decorative, but to essentially appear to be part of it, as if it were organic,” he said. An example is a camel coat 11 with a braided look. A livelier extension of this concept is his “body plate” wedding dress. It’s a tube made of reversible wool/silk with sheer horn beads on tulle and lined with illusion fabric. The result is a virtually opaque nude look.
Embroidered calligraphy also returns this season. Rucci said the embellishment was recently applied to a wedding veil, with the text of a letter he wrote to the bride and groom embroidered on the edge of the veil. Brides-to-be might want to keep an eye out for this personal and romantic idea.
Inspired by the vintage fur trend among young women, Rucci used FurMark-certified recycled fur. The collection explained that existing fur was refurbished. These are the linings of the aforementioned parkas. The cocoon shape offers a different kind of hug, as shown by the appearance 11.
2023
