Copyright The Philadelphia Inquirer
On Monday evening, iconic fashion designer Thom Browne presented South Philly-born designer Ralph Rucci with the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award. Rucci, 68, is one of America’s most significant couturiers. His weightless gowns and airy slacks bring the fashion elite at New York and Paris fashion shows to their feet. He’s considered the king of tailoring and craftsmanship and his pieces have been worn by first ladies Laura Bush and Michelle Obama as well as celebrities like Martha Stewart. “It was quite a wonderful evening,” Rucci said Tuesday morning. “It was lovely for me.” Rucci went to Waldron Elementary and Temple University before launching a successful fashion career in New York. In 2002, he became the second American designer invited to show his collection at Paris’ haute couture shows. In 2014, as the result of a bad business deal, he lost the rights to his eponymous brand, the use of his name, and his catalog spanning back to the 1980s. In 2019, Rucci launched his new brand RR331 in Paris’ Hotel Ritz and has developed a made-to-order business from his New York City home. Monday night’s award was sweet validation from the industry that his hard work hasn’t been in vain. “It allows me to put things in perspective,” Rucci said. The night’s winners also include Ralph Lauren, who won the American womenswear designer of the year award, and actors-turned-designers Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen’s brand, The Row, cinched the American accessory designer of the year award. Former Vogue editor Anna Wintour presented A$AP Rocky with the Fashion Icon award. “Every time I win an award like this I feel extraordinary,” Rucci said. “I get very quiet and very meditative, and I think of all the people who are with me now and all the people who aren’t with me anymore, and I’m grateful to still be here.” The Council of Fashion Design of America is a New York-based nonprofit whose membership consists of 370 of America’s foremost womenswear, menswear, jewelry, and accessory designers.
