PARIS, Jul 6, 2004/ FW/ --- “I love it! It’s glamorous, I’m going to buy 4 or 5 pieces from it,” commented Oprah Winfrey after seeing Ralph Rucci’s Haute Couture Fall 2004 collection last night at the Hotel Ritz.

The room was abuzz as the press, celebrities and couture clients could not stop talking about the New York-based designer’s triumphant presentation of the crème de la crème of fashion.

Sticking to his signature style of simple sleek lines with complex structure, Ralph Rucci (photo at left) added embellishments and accessories, creating a unique Euro-American look that has never been seen before.

Opening with a seemingly simple sleeveless mini dress constructed with his signature ajouré or openwork on seams accessorized with long opera gloves and paired with over-the-knee boots and a gorgeous ‘mushroom’ hat; the whole ensemble made from chocolate brown alligator skin – the look set the tone of the collection which was a convergence of American aesthetics with European elegance.

As the elegant fashion parade continued, Ralph Rucci’s genius and wide range as a designer became apparent as he sent pant suits with tiny crystals intricately embedded on the fabric with their glitter so subtle it was almost ephemeral.

It is this restraint that made the whole collection very successful. Fur coats that are sometimes finished off with fringes, long coats with intricate embroidery, ajouré seams embossed with stitching or tiny crystals, feathers on the bodice or skirt were strategically placed, never going over the top resulting to a graceful, refined and polished look.

Ralph Rucci made some bold statements with this collection, but he was never brash. It’s about tranquility and confidence and the spiritual essence of the woman who will wear them.

Showing the night before the official start of the haute couture season, another bold statement by the designer, Ralph Rucci sent a subliminal message of urgency, providing a much needed adrenaline rush for the made-to-measure craft.

As already reported, Hanae Mori is retiring, Versace has bowed out and Emanuel Ungaro is not showing; the usual 4-day calendar had been reduced to three days.

As Americans would say, Ralph Rucci “took the bulls by the horn,” kicking off the season a day early, creating an exigency.

So, the journalists and photographers rushed to the Hotel Ritz, coming straight from the Paris menswear season that just ended an hour before to cover the first show of the haute couture season.

Couture clients like Susan Casden, who descends to Paris with an American contingency to attend the show was there, too. Beautiful and elegant as ever, a casual observer would never know that she also had to “rush” to the shows, coming in a day early on their private plane, flying from Los Angeles to Paris.

Her comment on the collection, “It’s beautiful, it’s elegant, I like it.” Coming from a couture client, that’s the best compliment a couturier can get!

Ralph Rucci

Ralph Rucci

Ralph Rucci

Ralph Rucci

Ralph Rucci