Lotus Club Dinner for Ralph Rucci

I had another lovely evening at the Lotus Club this past Tuesday evening. There was a state dinner in honor of American fashion designer Ralph Rucci.

The following was written by the curator of a show of his work at Kent State University, a place where my dad had also been invited to lecture and draw in the recent past.

"Steadfastly, Ralph Rucci develops his techniques and pushes his own boundaries. He is an idealist who aims for perfection. With intellectual rigor and a boundless love of his craft, he has risen quietly in the ranks of designers who matter. Since the inception of his label, Chado, in 1994, he has drawn a sophisticated international clientele that was expanded in 2002 when he began presenting Haute Couture in Paris. As the world begins to pay attention, Ralph Rucci continues to follow the core principles behind Chado, a Japanese tea ceremony that involves life-long learning, respect, grace and tranquility.
Impervious to fads and to the increased theatricality of the couture world, Mr. Rucci's work mirrors his peaceful and introspective ways and draws inspiration from a wide range of sources. Creative construction is at the center of his design philosophy, but he also pays close attention to the properties of fabrics and to the ideas of the talented individuals who surround him. His roots run deep. He stands on the shoulders of great designers such as Balenciaga, Vionnet and Grès, as well as numerous creators and artists. Whether he draws from his own art work or that of Renaissance masters, he has the ability to synthesize and actualize his sources to create understated yet intricate and highly individualistic collections.
The quality of Ralph Rucci's work is exceptional in both his ready-to-wear and couture garments. His trademark meandering seams and gussets allow for better fit and ease of movement and, like most of the hand processes he and his staff develop, are a great source of pride. While Mr. Rucci is well-known and admired throughout the international fashion community for his impeccable garments, the Kent State University Museum exhibition represents the first major public display of his work. Join us and see what happens when technique, impeccable fit and quality unite with originality, clarity and joy. Look beyond the ordinary and experience the majestic, the serene, the subtle universe of Ralph Rucci."

Anne Bissonnette, Curator

My parent's neighbor, former Joffrey ballet dancer and international choreographer, Margo Sappington came with me and helped me appreciate a snippet of my father's world.

My other guest was a former student of my dad's, Inge Poslitur, who had come directly from an award ceremony in Albany. I know my dad would be so pleased at her accomplishments.

As the chairman of the Art Committee of the Lotus Club, Audrey Amdersky introduced Mr. Rucci, she paid a wonderful tribute to my dad. It was very moving, and I did cry. At the last Lotus Club event, my dad and I had planned to attend these functions together, which I would have so enjoyed.

I continue to meet his amazing friends. One couple, the Thompsons, were familiar in name to me. My mom and dad had been invited to attend a Christmas afternoon tea with them, which I am so thankful they opted out of to be able to join us in PA. I know my dad wanted to go since he had made the commitment, but I assured him they would understand his desire to join family for Christmas (which they did). It was another gift...to meet them and tell them how much my dad had wanted to join them and was honored by their invitation.

I look forward to stepping into my dad's world and getting to know and love him more.

Peace.

My Day in NYC

I grew up here, but it has been a long time. But there is definitely some NY in my blood. Maybe that is why I am so, well, crazy. It's NYC in my blood.

My mom has a love hate relationship with NY. She has routine, she can walk everywhere, but really has never embraced all that the city has to offer in terms of culture, activities, and diversity. She just told my dad the other day she is bored. She lives in one of the most full cities in the world and is bored. Now I can understand being bored in Danville (where I live) but in NYC?
My dad, on the other hand, loves it and would wither and die if he didn't live in NY. He is an artist, he has friends, he enjoys what the city has to offer and deals with the crowds, sometime rudeness of people and other hassles of living in a big city; like riding crowded subways, for example.

Nicole takes much more after my dad. When we got off the subway at Times Square, it was as if an extra dose of energy (for someone who already has way too much!) exploded inside her. She wanted to see Times Square, she wanted to be where the New Year's Ball dropped, she wanted to see Broadway, she wanted to go to a show on Broadway. She couldn't get enough.

Our first stop was the TKTS place. The weather was absolutely awful, so there was no line. Amazing. We got half price tickets to Mary Poppins, and went on to stop number two, American Girl Doll Place.

See the slush? NYC didn't get the several inches of snow central PA got, covered with ice, but did get slush and both our feet were cold and wet. I was waiting for Children and Youth to pick me up because Nicole had crocks on and decided to take her socks OFF when they got wet, and then rolled her pants up so the bottoms wouldn't soak. Great. A kid with no socks and pants rolled up to her knees sloshing through the cold slop...and on top of everything, it was raining.

But then she got her second burst of energy when she spotted AG place, a girl's paradise, and mother's nightmare. We established the ground rules for shopping before entering (how much money she had, deferring what she couldn't afford, etc.) and got to the store which was also empty due to the weather.



I have a hard time with AG...I love the dolls and all the great clothes and accessories, but they are outrageously expensive. It just absolutely grates against my frugal self. The doll clothes cost more than I spend on my own clothes...so for every dollar that I spend there I am going to make a donation to a homeless shelter. I guess that is some kind of warped rationalization...my thoughts on this will probably appear sooner or later as a separate post.

Nicole got Chrissa, the new doll of the year. And it is a good story, and actually has mean girls, a homeless girl and bullying as part of the story line.

Next we went to what has to be the world's biggest Toys 'R Us store. It is so big it has an inside Ferris wheel, and we met Carolyn there and all went for a ride in the Nickelodeon car. It was a blast. The store is one of NY's tourist attractions. There are guys all over the store with cameras snapping away; photos of you entering the store, hanging with Geoffrey the Giraffe, riding the Ferris wheel, which I did fall for. What can I say? It was a great photo...someone help me...


After the ride we grabbed lunch at TGI Friday's and Nicole's charm somehow garnered her a free ice cream sundae...yummy!

Then it was off to Broadway...Mary Poppins was great! Just good old fun. And a great story.

More Broadway. Lights, lights, lights and ABC News. So much stimulation. Better than caffeine, but we stopped at Starbucks and got some of that too.

And then I got ready for the original reason for the trip, the evening event at the Lotus Club to honor Barbara Cook. It was a great evening, and merits its own post. Below is a picture of my dad with Adam LeGrant, Barbara's son with whom I went to elementary school, and here we are pushing 50 and our parents 80...

It was a great day, and just worked out so well because a storm blew through.