Chado Ralph Rucci drops the 'Chado'

Philadelphia-born-and-bred designer Ralph Rucci is getting an eponymous label.

WWD reports Chado Ralph Rucci, his luxury clothing and accessories line, is dropping the "Chado."

The label's CEO Jeffry Aronsson says the drop is "the start of a new chapter toward securing Ralph Rucci's place" in the luxury business. His couture gowns were featured in an exhibit collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art from Fall 2007 through Spring 2008. In 2011, he received the "Visionary Award for Fashion" from PIFA, which coincidentally is going on now.

Rucci, a Temple grad who later went on to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, launched Chado Ralph Rucci twenty years ago. The word "chado" is in reference to "Chado, the Way of Tea," a Japanese tea ceremony known for its precise style.

His line can be found at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf's.