MOSES, Rebecca

American designer

Born: New Jersey. Career: Developed her first collection at age 21; closed her New York-based design company, 1992; replaced Gianni Versace as designer for Donnatella Girombelli's clothing label Genny Collection and Genny Platinum, 1993; continued as a consultant for Genny and Genny Platinum for some years; developed her current label, 1996; designed for the Gerani line, 2000; continues her clothing label to date. Address: 588 Broadway, New York, NY 10012, USA.

Publications

On MOSES:

Articles

Biggs, Melissa E., "Carry-On Classics," in Town & Country.

Gross, Michael, "The Subject is Moses: The Name Game," in New York, 14 March 1988.

Mansfield, Stephanie, "In the World of Fashion, a Designer's Name Can Be Her Most Important Asset," in Vogue, December 1989.

Quick, Harriet, "Rebecca Moses," in Harpers & Queen, January 1997.

"Rebecca Moses: Keeping it Simple, in Eve, July 1997.

"BG, Rebecca Moses Thinking Big," in WWD, 1998.

Ilari, Alessandra, et al., "Rebecca Moses: The Bag Solution," in WWD, February 24, 1998.

Ellis, Kristi, "Moses Show Brings $100,000 for Jeri Rice," in WWD, July 28, 1999.

Zargani, Luisa, "Gilmar and Marzotto Take Different Paths," in WWD, November 9, 2000.

"Sure Things," in WWD, 7 March 2001.

"Elegance Made Easy," in Simply the Best, April 2001.

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Women who are on the go and looking for simple style can always look to Rebecca Moses' designs for their fashion needs. Moses has developed a unique way of combining sheer elegance with ready-to-wear fashion by creating relaxed fits with sexy and womanly designs. Bias-cutting and plunging necklines in fine cashmere fabric is a trademark of Moses. She prides herself in using the finest quality cashmere in all her fashions and says that comfort should not negate looking sexy.

Moses' lines are always exquisite and seemingly weigh nothing on the body. They are comfortable and cool, lively and eye-popping. She uses cashmere almost exclusively in her newer collections, year-round. The secret to warmth in cashmere is to layer the paper-thin fabric during the chilling winter months. In 1997, Moses took the cashmere V-neck sweater to 30 opalescent shades, including pink, melon, lavender, and blue ice.

Moses uses vibrant colors, as well as neutrals, to balance women's wardrobes so that pieces can easily be mixed and matched. The colors and hues are inspired by everything around her, especially the flowers in her gardens. Hydrangeas, wisteria, red and pink roses, geraniums, rhododendrons, and azaleas are just a few of the inspiring florals for her creations. Large Scotch pines and a large American maple tree are also sources for inspirational color.

In the summer 1997 collection, Moses created colors of stone, glass, and classic black. The outfits were cool and fresh, and never tight-fitting. The collection included sexy halters and one-shouldered tops. For pants, jackets, and skirts, she enjoyed using neutral colors so that other pieces of the outfit could be used to add vibrant color. She believes a woman should have a base to her wardrobe and then work around the base by adding color. To go along with her sexy yet simple style, Moses created a sling-in-a-bag, cashmere roll-in-a-ball dress, which she called the "va-va voom" dress, to make traveling easier for the busy, modern woman.

Still paying close attention to working women, in 1998, Moses developed a collection of functional yet stylish bags. Practicality was the motivation for her designs, which meant there were compartments for cellular phones, calculators, and glasses. The bags were made out of either deer, lamb napa, or calfskin, and lined with flannel. Colors included black, mud, and toffee brown next to bronze, gray, and copper metallics.

Spring/summer 1999 marked the beginning of a new line of bigger sizes for Moses. She struck a deal with Bergdorf Goodman to develop a collection for plus sizes. The line was created to give plus-sizes the opportunity to feel sexy and modern, and included all of Moses' regular designs: cashmere knits with plunging necklines, cardigans, bias-cut dresses, tunics, and cigarette pants. To enhance the line, she used colors such as white, sand, stone, saturated pastels, and ocean blue.

For regular sizes, the spring/summer 1999 collection continued to address busy, on-the-go women. There were pieces of sportswear, a twinset, a clutch coat, the Capri, and sundresses. Accessories such as slipper shoes, bags, and scarves played a more significant role in the designs. Colors included saturated pastels highlighted against neutrals.

The spring/summer 2001 collection gave the feel and look of being on a leisurely vacation. The colors produced a warm, neutral and sensual glow. The silk and cashmere knits captured the feeling of tropical life. Moses also added one more touch to her cashmere designs: delightful brooches.

Rebecca Moses is a designer of versatility, sensuality, and comfort. She has made her mark as "the" designer of light cashmere clothes for busy, working women. Her attention to details, comfort, and style has given her the reputation as a designer who creates seemingly effortless luxurious styles.

—Kimbally A. Medeiros