Ralph Rucci: Words of Wisdom

I didn't know that much about Mr. Ralph Rucci until this past year, but the more I hear him speak and the more I look at his garments, the more I respect him as a designer.

The first time I heard him speak was at FIT when he was guest speaker. Even then I knew what an honor and a privilege it was to hear him speak. I remember him as a very eloquent speaker with a strong point of view on fashion, kind of like his designs.

Of course I was blown away by the Ralph Rucci exhibition at FIT. I had already spent an hour walking through the exhibit, but I think I may want to go back for a second viewing.

Now I read a little article in Tuesday's WWD and I just want to share a few quotes of his.

"At some point, I lost interest in the simple activity of fashion design. If a young person wants to be a fashion designer and just thinks about the clothes, they are missing an enormous amount. Just to dive into fashion design is going to be ultimately disappointing. I approach fashion design as an academic. I wouldn't dare sketch a jacket without researching the history behind it."

"When I discovered Cristobal Balenciaga, it was as though something was released in me and I had a future. It's important, especially in fashion, to pay homage to the people who laid the groundwork. There is no such thing as anything dated, if it is important and inspirational."

"Where did the idea of grace and finesse go?"

And he doesn't have a website, at least one that I can find. Puts my sadness at not having my first choice domain name in prospective.