Style Icons Ralph Rucci and Donald Brooks Join New York’s Fashion Walk of Fame

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fashion designers Ralph Rucci and Donald Brooks today became the newest members of Seventh Avenue’s legendary Fashion Walk of Fame. The pair joined two dozen others immortalized in the heart of the world’s fashion capital in a star-studded ceremony this morning at the Bryant Park Grill.

“Ralph Rucci and Donald Brooks have left a lasting impression on the world of fashion with their extraordinary contributions to design and reverence for materials”

At the induction, a who’s-who of New York fashion got a firsthand look at the bronze plaques that will pay lasting tribute to these two fashion icons.

“Ralph Rucci and Donald Brooks have left a lasting impression on the world of fashion with their extraordinary contributions to design and reverence for materials,” said Barbara Randall, president of the Fashion Center BID. “We are delighted to honor their outstanding contributions in the Fashion District, home to so many of the most influential and renowned designers and industry elite. As the fashion epicenter of the world, we are proud to showcase them on the Fashion Walk of Fame, a destination for fashion-loving New Yorkers and tourists alike.”

The Fashion Center Business Improvement District (BID) established the Fashion Walk of Fame in 1999 to honor individuals who have had an extraordinary impact on fashion through either innovative design or the use of materials, or significantly influenced the way America dresses. Decorative plaques honoring these designers are embedded in the sidewalks along the east side of Seventh “Fashion” Avenue from 41^st Street to 35^th Street, in the Fashion District. Each plaque displays an original sketch and a brief description of their contribution to fashion and the designer’s signature.

Ralph Rucci

Celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow, Whoopi Goldberg and Martha Stewart have worn designer Ralph Rucci’s creations over the course of his impressive career. His fashion and accessories line, Chado Ralph Rucci, was launched in 1994 and is known for its impeccable craftsmanship and luxurious materials.

Rucci’s gowns are included in the permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, The Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, among others.

“It is a great honor to be recognized for your work and for your efforts,” said Rucci. “I share this honor today with the members of my staff and, above all, with the dedicated people in my workrooms who are among the finest artists and craftsmen/women in the world.”

Born in Philadelphia, Rucci attended the Fashion Institute of Technology and started his first job in fashion, working with Halston, in 1977. Rucci is also an accomplished painter and his artwork is displayed in galleries in New York and San Francisco.

Donald Brooks

Late fashion designer Donald Brooks died in 2005 at age 77. He was born in New Haven, Connecticut and raised in Manhattan, attending the Fashion Institute of Technology and Parsons School of Design. He made his first foray into fashion as a window designer for Lord & Taylor, where his work caught the eye of the department store’s president, who hired him to design a collection for the retailer.

Although he launched his own collection in 1965, Brooks’ first love was designing for the theater. He created more than 3,500 costumes for the 1968 movie “Star!” with Julie Andrews. Brooks received a Tony award nomination for his work on the movie “No Strings,” followed by three Oscar nominations for his subsequent work.

His design work thrived through the use of bold patterns and playful colors. He retired his business in 1973 but continued to design through several licensing agreements.

Brooks received three Coty Awards for fashion and was honored with the Parsons’ Medal of Distinction. He won an Emmy award for his costume design work on the 1982 movie “The Letter” and, throughout his career, created designs for more than 20 Broadway shows.

“Donald Brooks was the quintessential American fashion designer, creating designs that were all his own during a time when so many were looking to Europe,” said Gerald Blum, former executive vice president of Lord & Taylor. “His was pure American fashion. We are thrilled that he will be immortalized alongside his peers and prominent designers, and on behalf of Donald and all who loved him, we wish to thank the Fashion Center BID for this prestigious honor.”

This year’s winners were selected from a list of 17 living and 19 deceased designers. The Fashion Walk of Fame Selections Committee, consisting of renowned fashion historians, curators, editors and press, reviewed a list of over 200 names and narrowed it down to 36 final nominees. More than 100 industry professionals then cast ballots to determine the 2011 winners.

In order to be considered for the Fashion Walk of Fame, designers must be American, owned their own business for at least 10 years and have a showroom in New York, or be known as a New York-based designer.

Past Walk of Fame inductees include:

Geoffrey Beene
Bill Blass
Stephen Burrows
Lilly Daché
Oscar de la Renta
Giorgio Di Sant’ Angelo
Perry Ellis
James Galanos
Rudi Gernreich
Halston
Marc Jacobs
Charles James
Betsey Johnson
Norma Kamali
Donna Karan
Bonnie Cashin
Anne Klein
Calvin Klein
Ralph Lauren
Mainbocher
Claire McCardell
Norman Norell
Willi Smith
Pauline Trigére
Diane von Furstenberg
Liz Claiborne

For more information on the Fashion Walk of Fame, please visit www.fashioncenter.com/the-walk-of-fame.

About the Fashion Center Business Improvement District (BID)

The Fashion Center Business Improvement District (www.fashioncenter.com), a not-for-profit corporation, was established in 1993 to improve the quality of life and economic vitality of Manhattan’s Fashion District. Through programs in the areas of streetscape improvements, sanitation and public safety services, marketing and promotions, economic development, and community service, efforts are aimed at promoting the district as a strategic midtown business location and ensuring New York's position as the fashion capital of the world.