Nino Cerruti Remembered at Paris Service – WWD – Fashion

Mourners gathered at Paris’ Madeleine Church Thursday for an intimate memorial in honor of late designer Nino Cerruti, who died Jan. 22 at the age of 91.

His son, Julian Cerruti, was joined by longtime friends and collaborators, including Jason Basmajian, former creative director at Cerruti; Nicolas Baurain, former head of accessories at Karl Lagerfeld; and Veronique Nichanian, artistic director of Hermès men.

The church at the center of Place de la Madeleine was a fitting location, as it was just steps from where the Italian designer had opened his flagship on the square in 1967.

The grand domes of the neo-classical temple were filled with his fragrance, Nino Cerruti 1881, spritzed amongst the pews as guests arrived for the late afternoon Catholic ceremony. Rows were dotted with bouquets of white hydrangeas and trailing ivy, while traditional hymns were played on the church’s pipe organ, accompanied by tenor Yago Falck and mezzo-soprano Alexandra di Falco.

Longtime friend and writer Charles Villeneuve opened the ceremony with an homage and prayer before readings from the Book of Wisdom and Psalms. “He radiated elegance and was the essence of class,” he said, and credited him as a visionary when he created a more relaxed silhouette for men and adapted with the times. “He is a man that revolutionized fashion.”

Photographer Stephane de Bourgies, who took a portrait of the late designer that stood in the church, read the poem “Style” by Charles Bukowski.

Francesca Braschi, Cerruti’s personal assistant through his last years, gave a tearful speech. “I met him during a period of time when he had learned how to enjoy time in a different way, free from engagements and from the hectic pace of fashion,” she said, adding that he wanted to leave an impression with younger generations. “He was a great master, a guide, a light and a friend.”

While the mass was traditional, Father Bruno Horaist closed the ceremony with a specially penned “prayer for peace” dedicated to all those affected by the war between Russia and Ukraine, as well as peace for Europe and the world.

“He was so effortlessly stylish and chic, it really befitted him. He was incredibly supportive, and this mass was just so genuine,” Basmajian told WWD after the ceremony of the man that was known for nurturing young talent. “I was reflecting on saying goodbye to Nino, but it is really saying good bye to a little bit of the industry. He operated in a way that took time. He was very conscious about when you moved an elbow in a crowded world, the effect that would have on other people. He was very considerate. He was generous in every sense.”

Fashion historian Pamela Golbin said she had spoken to him just a few months before his passing. “What he had to say was just as relevant today. It’s all about elegance coming from inside and I think today we saw that,” she said. “It’s funny, I was just speaking with some people and he’s probably the only person who everyone always had something nice to say about, which is quite rare. He was a great man in fashion that leaves a wonderful legacy.”

Nichanian, who had worked with Cerruti for more than a decade, said the two still kept in touch regularly by phone and reflected on the loss. “He was such a nice person and such a mentor for me when I started out, so I’m very sad. He was a kind person and really somebody funny and charming and very cultivated,” she said. “Everybody is very sad, because he was one of the greats.”