Fur, cashmere and the color violet at Ralph Rucci

"The base of the collection is violet," the designer said backstage after his fall/winter preview Sunday night at New York Fashion Week. "It took weeks to establish the exact color. Then we sent it to all the mills."

But why violet?

"It's a personal reference," he explained. Pried yet further, he added: "It's the eye color of someone in my life."

Rucci's brilliant shade of violet first appeared on his runway in a "mink pullover" — the mere term a clear sign of how he is attempting to meld his signature luxury into more casual garments.

The same color returned in dresses of wool jersey or crêpe, in a silk raincoat, in a sable coat, in a particularly well-proportioned cashmere suit, in a cashmere coat with leather embroidery, and even in filmy lace pajamas.

And it appeared once more for the final, show-ending garment: a long wool gown with tulle insets.