Unlike her fellow peers (Chanel for example), Nina Ricci’s reputation does not rest on a radical fashion statement. Instead, she has been successful because she is able to provide an inconspicuous, stylish look for elegant, high-society women- always classy and incredibly feminine. As a dress designer, French-born Nina Ricci, born Maria “Nina” Ricci, had a breathtaking flair for highlighting the individuality of her clients. Queen of fashion, she still favored girly styles at a time when boyish styles were eminent. When it came to designing clothes, Ricci worked directly on the models and designed by draping the fabric, which she felt gave her the answer to what the dress would eventually become. The company quickly expanded thanks to the sophisticated, romantic aesthetic of Nina after her and son, Robert, established the label in 1932. Their approach is focused on charismatic, enticing and delectable femininity that is always accentuated with quiet elegance. There is nothing grave about the designs, just charm in its simplicity. The designs are either enhanced by an ornate detail or exaggerated by the richness of the fabric. She always had to find a unique element that would render a dress for a client’s favorite while achieving the utmost relief and lightness that does not hinder a woman while moving or dancing. Her becoming effects of gathers, tucks, drapery and attention to figure-hugging details are what attract so many women today, making the house a worldwide symbol of the quest for fashionable Parisian taste.
