Nina Ricci Couture (Firm)
Dates
- Existence: 1932-
Biography
Nina Ricci, the French fashion house known for feminine, ladylike clothing and famous perfumes, was founded in 1932 by Nina Ricci, born Maria Nielli, a seamstress turned couture salon stylist, and her son, Robert.
From the start, elegant French women and their daughters streamed through the doors of maison Ricci, seeking debutante dresses, party frocks, and wedding trousseaux distinguished by fine details and luxurious fabrics. To achieve her figure-flattering cuts, the seasoned dressmaker draped on a live model, pinning and snipping with a couturier’s care.
In the ’50s, authorized copies of Nina Ricci couture designs could be found stateside at high-end retailers like Bergdorf Goodman and Henri Bendel. By the ’60s, the house was at the forefront of an emerging trend in Paris couture: ready-to-wear. Mademoiselle Ricci, made for the American market, debuted in 1962.
In 1998, the house was acquired by Spanish company Puig. The couture division was shuttered, and Canadian designer Nathalie Gervais was given the task of creating a new identity for the brand. Perfume sales had long been the company’s strongest source of profits—in particular, the best-selling L’Air du Temps, with its instantly recognizable Lalique flacon—but from now on the firm would concentrate on ready-to-wear.
Found in 14 Collections and/or Records:
September 2-3, 1995, 1995
This folder contains a column on winter coats and black and white photos of coats by Linda Allard for Ellen Tracy, Ferragamo, Escada, Tepper, Christian Dior and black and white reproductions of a sketch of an ensemble by Gerard Pipert for Nina Ricci, 8x10" negatives and correspondence.
Slides of runway show(s) by Nina Ricci, spring/summer 1997 and fall/winter 1997., 1997
Slides of runway show(s) by Nina Ricci, spring/summer 1997 and fall/winter 1997.
Untitled (Reclining male in tuxedo with champagne), undated, 2002, undated
Reclining male in tuxedo with champagne; Color: marker, charcoal and watercolor; Client Ricci for Men ad; Signed lower left
Untitled (Side view of male in suit and hat, holding raincoat and umbrella), 1981, 2002, 1981
Side view of male in suit and hat, holding raincoat and umbrella; Black and white: charcoal; Signed lower right; Client Jacqueline Cochrane "Ricci for Men"