Mirror, Mirror: Ralph Rucci is out, tragic news for his ethereal brand

Ralph Rucci - the South Philadelphia-bred clothing designer at the helm of possibly the world's most exclusive couture fashion house - relinquished the reins of his eponymous label to investors this month, walking away from his 33-year-old women's wear line revered in the style world, yet virtually unknown outside it.

That disconnect from the mainstream is what ultimately led to Rucci's apparent ousting. But how will his brand flourish without its founding soul?

It is unclear. No one involved - including Rucci, company representatives, or even the stores that sell his brand - would talk specifics. But his story remains an example of how difficult it is to remain relevant and true to your principles in an ever-changing fashion landscape.

As for Rucci, 57, who lives in New York now, he will "pursue other creative endeavors," according to a press release issued by the company. There are endless options for such a genius.

He's an avid painter: His ethereal, inspired-by-nature drawings were regularly featured on his collections, eliciting applause, and standing ovations, from a powerful front row that often included Martha Stewart, Whoopi Goldberg, Wolfgang Puck, and Hamish Bowles, European editor of Vogue magazine.

And nearly two years ago, Rucci collaborated with furniture designer Holly Hunt to create a 16-piece collection, some of which corresponded to dresses that once appeared on his runways.

But like Rucci's crepe dresses and liquid pantsuits that cost thousands of dollars, his furniture didn't win over the masses, either.

In his absence, the pre-fall and fall 2015 collections will be designed in-house, and the company will hire a new creative director in time to design the 2016 resort collections scheduled to debut in June.

For the time being, Joey Laurenti, who came on board in May as the company's chief executive officer, will oversee the house's day-to-day productions. Previously, Laurenti, who is in his 30s, was the CEO of Goods & Services, a New York multibrand contemporary showroom. At the same time, Laurenti also was the director of sales for Opening Ceremony, an edgy New York gallery and retail space for emerging designers.

It makes sense that the company's investors, New York power couple Howard and Nancy Marks, would want to bring the Ralph Rucci brand to a broader audience. His target market had historically been women who were extremely wealthy but under the radar.

But Rucci's exit from the business he built through determination, skill, and more than a hint of stubbornness is tragic. Nancy Marks, a longtime client who is serving as the company's chair, will be hard-pressed to find a designer of Rucci's caliber.

Fashioned from crepe, wool, jersey, alligator, and even horsehair, Rucci's collections - once called Chado Ralph Rucci, after a Japanese tea ceremony - were so exquisitely clean and minimal, they looked like they could float. In 2007, the Fashion Institute of Technology hosted "Ralph Rucci: The Art of Weightlessness," celebrating 25 years of Rucci's work. Rucci's pieces are in the permanent costume collections of both the Metropolitan and Philadelphia Museums of Art.

Once a student of Halston, Rucci mastered signature techniques such as piping on tulle, circular pintucks, and his trademark: suspending pieces of fabric within a garment using his special wormstitch. The suspension created slim cutouts that gave older women a touch of sexy.

In 2002, Rucci became the first American-born designer invited to present in Paris' haute couture shows since Main Rousseau Bocher in the 1930s. By 2007, he was refusing to show his collections in New York because he didn't appreciate the paltry coverage he was getting from the fashion press.

That hints at his steely personality and immovable will, which was a plus in some ways. For instance, he was among the first designers to use an African American as a fit model. And before it was in vogue, he insisted that as much of his collection as possible be made in America.

But that same stubbornness caused his brand to suffer. Unlike the late Oscar de la Renta, Rucci never figured out how to reach everyday fashionistas who couldn't afford a gown, sable, or suit, but could splurge on a pair of sunglasses. In today's saturated market, designer collaborations and licenses fund the couture part of businesses.

And Rucci absolutely refused to lend his red-carpet-worthy gowns to celebs during awards season. Rucci's loyalties, he often said, were to the women who paid full price, and he would not cheapen his brand. Of course, without the name recognition that comes from red-carpet interviews and post-red-carpet dish, Rucci never joined Carolina Herrera or Dior in the modern-day fashion designer lexicon.

After the recession began in December 2007, shoppers focused less on luxury and more on mixing the high with the high-low. Rucci, who once told me he was recession-proof, struggled to pay his staff. He canceled runway shows.

Three years ago, the Markses invested in the company. That same year, Jeffry Aronsson, CEO of the Aronsson Group, a firm that specializes in helping distressed fashion brands, assumed the role of CEO.

Since then, celebs Julianna Margulies and Faith Hill were photographed in his gowns. Aronsson lowered prices, too, 40 to 50 percent, so the least expensive gowns were about $2,500. In 2013, Chado was dropped from the moniker, perhaps to be more approachable.

That June, storied fashion photographer Steven Meisel shot Rucci's first-ever ad campaign, producing two-page spreads that appeared in magazines including W and Harper's Bazaar.

Then as quietly as Aronsson came on to the Rucci scene, he left. Aronsson declined to comment for this article.

By February, Rucci's sister Rosina, his public relations manager and all-around keep-the-company-together person, retired.

Rucci joins a handful of other high-end designers who have left their namesake companies recently: Roland Mouret, John Galliano, Alessandro Dell'Acqua, and Jil Sander.

In the case of Ralph Rucci, the brand is now free to grab all the fashion spotlight it can. But it won't be authentically Ralph Rucci.

That's a shame.

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