Nina Ricci Fashion designer Date of Birth: 14.01.1883 Country: France

Biography of Nina Ricci

Nina Ricci was a French fashion designer of Italian origin. Born as Marie Adéland Nelli, she faced a difficult life from an early age. Her father, a shoemaker, moved their family from Turin to Monte Carlo in hopes of finding wealthy clients among the social elite. However, shortly after the move, her father passed away, leaving her mother penniless.

At the age of twelve, Marie became an apprentice in a sewing workshop and took her first step towards her future profession. Her charming hats became popular among local fashionistas. By the age of fourteen, she was working alongside her mother and older sister in a haberdashery store during the day while continuing to learn the craft of tailoring in the evenings.

Her hard work paid off, and she eventually landed a job at a fashion house where she started as a junior seamstress. Over the years, she worked her way up to become a head seamstress, and later, she hired her own tailors to bring her designs to life. It was during this time that Louis Ricci, a florist, spotted her at a bus stop, and Marie Nelli transformed into Nina Ricci.

Unfortunately, their marriage was not a happy one, and Nina was left alone with her young son, Robert. Despite the challenges of being a single mother, she continued to work tirelessly and steadily climbed the ladder of the fashion industry. In her forties, she became wealthy, independent, and finally able to take a break from the constant race to the top.

Nina Ricci initially planned to retire, but her son convinced her to open her own fashion house under her name. In 1932, amid the global crisis, Nina Ricci's fashion house appeared at 20 Capucines Street with a sign that read "NINA RICCI." The first fashion shows brought success to the mother-son duo. Nina Ricci understood the tastes of her bourgeois clients who preferred quality with a touch of extravagance. Classic suits, "little" dresses, and dress-jackets formed the foundation of her early collections. The secret lay in the cut, combined with impeccable craftsmanship and moderate prices that were three times lower than those of Lanvin or Poiret.

Her business acumen propelled the family company to the forefront of French clothing manufacturers. However, international success came after the war, when Robert Ricci launched their first perfume, "Coeur-Joie." Two years later, "L'air du Temps" not only brought fame but also enormous profits to the NINA RICCI brand. The popularity of this magical fragrance, which legend says Robert created for his beloved woman, continues to thrive. It is said that every five seconds, someone purchases a bottle of "L'air du Temps." Perhaps it truly carries the charm of that era when a mother, with her restrained elegance and impeccable taste, collaborated with her son, who was passionately in love with life.