Selections from Wendy Ritter’s Michael Kors collection on exhibit at The Kent State University Museum through Nov. 2

By Vicki Bernie, The Dayton Jewish Observer

Vicki Bernie

Michael Kors called her “the last warrior.” To most people, the late Wendy Zuckerwise Ritter was the epitome of style — in a classic but understated way.
To those of us who knew her beautiful and gentle soul, warrior was not a word that came to mind. But her career in retail, which spanned decades, proved otherwise.

“The way she managed her clients, remembered what she had sold them 10 to 15 years ago, what would go with what…and she told them that nothing was impossible,” said her husband, Dr. Nat Ritter. “Wendy taught her clients that size didn’t matter, it was all about fit.”

Wendy’s goal was to make her clients feel great. She was known to snip out the tag on garments and have clothing expertly tailored. With Wendy on their side, the customer always won the battle.

“If the dress fit and the client wanted it longer, she called Italy and got more fabric!” Nat said.

Her clients adored her. They came back year after year, following her path in retail.
A Fulbright Scholar and Phi Beta Kappa at The University of Virginia, Wendy majored in French and art history.

Her journey into retail began when Kenzo, based in Paris, brought its line to the United States. Wendy was a natural choice because of her command of the French language; she flew back and forth to both countries.

Wendy Ritter

Working at Saks Fifth Avenue and then Bergdorf Goodman in New York, she managed Donna Karan for 15 years. A major turning point was when Wendy met Michael Kors. He was just starting his career at the time, doing his own mannequins at Bergdorfs.

But the year 2000 marked an even bigger turning point. In February, she retired and married Nat. Moving to Dayton, she nonetheless kept her apartment in New York so she could go back whenever she wanted.

That May, she got a call from Kors, who was planning to open a boutique on Madison Avenue. His company wanted Wendy and her very loyal clients and asked if she could work for them one week every month.

“When she asked me if I felt OK about that, she had already told them yes,” Nat said, smiling.

Over coffee, laughter and memories, I heard some wonderful Wendy stories from Nat and one of Wendy’s very close friends, Renee Rubin Handel.

“When Princess Diana came to the U.S., she came to Bergdorf’s and the store chose Wendy to show her around,” Nat said. “She was quick and knew what she was doing.

Wendy was wearing a pair of pantyhose that Diana liked and she asked where Wendy had purchased them. Not wanting to tell the princess that everything she was wearing wasn’t from Bergdorfs — she actually bought the hose at a pharmacy — Wendy offered to get her some and she ran out, bought them and had them sent over to Diana.”

Renee recalled a recent trip to New York and a purchase from the Michael Kors department at Bergdorfs.

“They called a tailor who was from Sicily,” she said. “I asked him if he knew Wendy and he got tears in his eyes. He said that when he first came here as an immigrant, she took him under her wing and gave him lots of advice and guidance about how to make sure sales people and customers treated him with respect. He never forgot her. I felt this was so telling because she was not about just the glamorous stuff.”

Nat lights up when he talks about Wendy’s relationship with Michael Kors. “He was such a mensch. I remember once being at a big show and he saw Wendy across the room and stopped in mid-conversation and headed over to us with a huge smile.”

Wendy passed away on April 26, 2008 at the age of 53, after a long battle with cancer.
Kors came home early from Europe to host a memorial for Wendy at his store. Many of her customers, colleagues, family and friends attended.

Renee’s eyes teared up remembering a phone call from Kors right before Wendy passed away.

“I answered the phone and I knew that the call would give her the validation and peace that she needed. I eventually had the opportunity to tell him that.”

Wendy loved fashion exhibits. On a trip to Florence, she wanted to see the Ferragamo Shoe Museum. She enjoyed the Jackie Onassis exhibit at the Guggenheim.

“When she passed away, I knew that I had to do something with this passion,” Nat said, “and so I donated many of her clothes to The Kent State University Museum — a diamond in Ohio that so many people don’t know about.

From Wendy Ritter’s Michael Kors collection at The Kent State Museum

“When I initially called the curator, Anne Bissonnette, I’m sure she thought, ‘What does this dentist in Ohio know about clothing?’ Although Wendy didn’t really like publicity, I think she would be proud of this exhibit.”

When Anne came to Dayton, she was thrilled to find that Wendy’s clothing was in pristine, museum-quality condition. She selected Donna Karan and Michael Kors pieces to take with her. The museum, dedicated to fashion and decorative arts, had never featured American designers before.

“Donna Karan was a very important American designer and Wendy, being in New York, was right on the forefront when the important pieces came out,” Anne said. “Karan became a revelation of power and style for women who had powerful jobs. Wendy knew what pieces picked up this essence of style, grace and self-confidence — very New York. She not only selected practical things, but styles that became classic. If I had gone through Vogues and Harpers, Wendy had the same things that the photographers would have picked. Her eye and sense of style made my job easier.”

Wendy’s Kors collection at Kent State is on exhibit through Nov. 2(www.kent.edu/museum).

Anne said the Donna Karan exhibit from Wendy’s collection will be a “blockbuster” show in two to three years.

“It will be very important and we need to do a lot of research first,” she said. “All of the pieces are quite wonderful and grace emanates from her selections.”

On Sept. 11, Hospice of Dayton Foundation’s Image 2009 fashion preview and fund-raising luncheon will be dedicated to Wendy’s memory.

Although a few pieces of her clothing will be on display during the event, to be held at Sinclair’s Ponitz Center, the focus will be on Wendy’s personal grace and remarkable leadership in the fashion industry.

“We look for people who have left their mark,” said Holly Campbell-Bradley, co-chair of Image 2009. “The show will be held on 9/11 this year and we thought it would be so fitting that she would be our annual ‘classic beauty.’ We want this to be a tribute to the spirit of New York City. Wendy was certainly a part of all of that.”