By now it’s a given that Ralph Rucci makes exquisite clothes of an extraordinary quality unparalleled in New York.  It’s part of his design ethos to stretch his artistic and technical muscle with every outing. The collection he showed for spring had all the markings of that labor-intensive approach, but now delivered with a lighter, some might say, younger hand. It made for an impressive collection. On the lighter side, he eased some of his silhouettes and rendered the details with increased subtlety. For example, a taupe silk faille pleated dress got a thin braided belt, while a white cotton sundress was almost girlish with delicate rows of faggoting.

Which is not to say that Rucci has abandoned his core constituency of chic, mature women who love his clothes and feel he is one of the few designers out there interested in addressing their needs. They’ll love his impeccably sculpted suits, dome-shaped dresses, and when they’re feeling flamboyant, his silver Mylar coat.

Rucci continued his lighter touch for some of the evening segment, notably in a black matte jersey caftan with gentle draping, and the stunning silk crepe columns with a paillette panel in front and back. Even chez Rucci less can be more.