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   Other standout pieces include a chocolate-and-navy silk paper taffeta gown and a black silk–wool garbadine harness dress. He showed the most improvement in this area of design because he broadened the variety of choices available to his customers while continuing to give them a superior product.
   Special mention should go to Carlos Falchi for the cone-shaped bags (Ralph Rucci by Carlos Falchi), the belt and long leather gloves by Daniel Storto (Ralph Rucci by Daniel Storto) and the beautifully presented furs (Chado Ralph Rucci by Pologeorgis).
   All this is all the more amazing when one considers the fact that Mr Rucci is self-financed and looking to expand his business. It was recently announced that Mr Rucci has been admitted into that very tiny circle of designers who are allowed to show at the haute couture collections in Paris. His first haute couture show in July will make him the first American designer since Mainbocher to show in Paris under his own name. (The fact that Louis Vuitton, Céline and other European design houses are headed by American designers carries no weight here because they are designing under someone else’s name, not presenting their own personal collections.) Not only is he truly deserving of this honour but it actually makes a great deal of sense. He is already incorporating couture features into his ready-to-wear line, so it doesn’t require a great stretch of the imagination take it to the next level and become totally couture in his thinking. We here at Lucire wish him only the best in this new endeavour. • Phillip D. Johnson
   
Phillip D. Johnson is features’ editor of Lucire.