When the Sam Fox Lecture Series at Washington University asked professors to submit names of notable notables to pursue as speakers, Jeigh Singleton of the fashion school (who prides himself in being a bit cheeky and devious at all times) decided to submit the one person in fashion he admires most.

He wrote the name of Ralph Rucci. The designer of Chado Ralph Rucci, who happens to be the only American living who has the designation of being a haute couture designer, a Parisian designation seen as the pinnacle of design mastery.

Chado will speak at the lecture series on April 26 (CORRECTION: He will be speaking on March 26) at the Steinberg Gallery. What to wear? What to wear?

He authored a book called “The Art of Weightlessness,” (CORRECTION: The book is called “Ralph Rucci: The Art of Weightlessness” and it was written by  Valerie Steele, Clare Sauro and Patricia Mears) describing his design aesthetic, which was the subject of an exhibition by the same name at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology featuring a catalog of his work.

In the book, Rucci gives high praise to the assistants and fellow designers who form the team Rucci. He noted that his work wouldn’t be possible without his assistants and patternmakers, notably Annarita Cavallini (who happens to be a Washington University graduate) and Gail Gondek.

In a New York Times article about the Rucci exhibition, Cavallini and Gondek were credited with a love for “puzzling over problems of construction.” It’s one thing to imagine a weightless garment, it is another to make it a reality.

Chado is known for his love of Japanese culture and design.

The New York Magazine describes Rucci like this:

In 1994, Chado Ralph Rucci was born and a new standard was set for luxurious dressing with an artistic twist. Rucci’s a favorite with society mavens and mature fashionistas, thanks to his sculptural silhouettes, impeccable craftsmanship, and to-die-for materials. In 2002, the two-time CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America-nominee became the first American designer since Mainbocher in the 1930s to be invited to show at Paris haute couture under his own name. An accomplished painter, the Philly-born designer draws inspiration from his own art, Japanese symbolism, and the work of Francis Bacon and Cy Twombly. Rucci designs all of his prints, and works closely with mills to create new fabrics and revive historically important textiles. Rucci won the top fashion honor at Cooper Hewitt’s 2008 National Design Awards. His love for Japanese culture is apparent not only in his rigorous-yet-ethereal clothes but also in the name of his label: “Chado” is derived from the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, and symbolizes respect, tranquility, and integrity.

Above are dresses and images from his  New York Fashion Week presentation of his Spring 2010 collection. (Getty Images for IMG)