Chado Ralph Rucci Spring 2010 – New York Fashion Week

American designer Ralph Rucci will never be accused of a lack of meticulousness – even the notes provided to guests at his Spring 2010 runway show included a thorough description of the collection’s inspiration, a bio, a run of show listing all 54 looks and credits. This attention to detail, however, is why Rucci stands a cut above his contemporaries with his steadfast devotion to couture, while creating looks that make many women believe that they, too, can wear and own these works of art.

Several pieces in Rucci’s spring collection featured images of the late modern dance choreographer Pina Bausch: her picture a seemingly abstract print when the fabric was still, a large striking presence when flowing. It is evident in these and the rest of his work that Rucci, perceiving the female figure as a three-dimensional palette, understands that the back and both sides of a design is as important as the front. These angles prove to be shockingly different yet cohesive; a white double-faced silk and wool gazar jacket, for example, featured a circular cut maze print that covered nearly the entire left side around the back and part of the right lapel.

Rucci upped the ante in the last third of his show with exquisitely crafted gowns, particularly those that were Japanese-inspired. A majestic black and gold kabuki gown resembling a kimono featured an unexpected shimmering gold sheath underneath. According to his notes, some of these gowns included hand-woven obi sashes made in Kyoto and created from elements such as tree sap, and “gold, silver and platinum metal leaf pounded to 1/10,000 millimeter thin.” Elegant fingerless gloves by Samantha Nguyen for Chado Ralph Rucci topped off many of the looks.

Photos: Chado Ralph Rucci Spring 2010 – New York Fashion Week
all photos by Yuan-Kwan Chan / Meniscus Magazine