Just in time to celebrate Ralph Rucci's 25th
anniversary as a fashion designer, this retrospective
at the Museum at FIT showcases
some 100 garments, putting the accent on
Rucci's light and ethereal style. Some of the
pieces are suspended from the ceiling, floating
above visitors in their dapper weightlessness.
But that word shouldn't be taken too literally;
Rucci and his work have real weight
and substance. A relative unknown at the
start of his career, he went on to become the
first American to show officially during Paris
couture since the 1930s. European influences
can be seen in his dashing colors and exuberant
forms, but while he readily acknowledges
his debt to couturiers past—especially
Balenciaga, Grès, and Halston—he innovates
on what they brought to fashion by upping
things a notch: bright shades, complex patterns,
billowing skirts... A light touch, maybe,
but a strong and steady vision.