We still recall the excitement of our September 2015 cover story devoted to Ralph Pucci.
The Museum of Arts and Design in Manhattan was hosting a career retrospective, “Ralph Pucci: The Art of the Mannequin,” and we got to visit Pucci himself at the Chelsea headquarters of Ralph Pucci International.
We found Pucci – a Greenwich resident at the time and former Bedford resident who grew up in both Mount Vernon and New Rochelle – to be one of those rare creatures – someone who found business success while maintaining an unwavering devotion to the arts.
His field might be fashion – his artistic creations grace the toniest of stores – but his passion for art, from home décor to dance to music to visual arts, was discussed as well.
And so WAG was delighted to be able, finally, make it to one of Ralph Pucci’s “events,” launches of new collections that have been accompanied by everything from modern dance to edgy fashions.
This past week, we found ourselves back in the Pucci headquarters as he presented “Rebecca Moses: Mannequins/Art/Fashion.” The show, “Mes Demoiselles Imperfectly Perfect,” featured the results of Pucci’s collaboration with the noted fashion illustrator.
Stepping off the elevator began an evening full of meeting new “friends” with names ranging from Zelda to Shani, Nicole to Inez, Lucy to Lulu.
The busts and full-size mannequins were artfully displayed throughout the gallery, with Moses’ art as the fanciful backdrop. Throughout, the creations set a celebratory tone that touched on diversity, individuality, art and fashion.
It drew, to be sure, quite a fashionable crowd – yes, that was back-in-the-day supermodel Kim Alexis taking it all in – that seemed uniformly captivated.
WAG got a moment to congratulate Moses – and another to catch up, if ever so briefly, with Pucci.
As he told us about Moses, “She designed it. She painted it. Obviously, we sculpted it.”
And when we said how stunning and transportive it all was, he could only agree, saying, “It’s Rebecca’s world.”
One we’d like to visit again – and again.
For more, visit ralphpucci.net.
– Mary Shustack
