Shoes have always been a part of Eric Rutberg’s life. His grandfather started Prague’s footwear in central Connecticut in the early 1950s. Rutberg worked there with the family during vacations from school. It grew to be the largest independent chain of footwear stores in New England until it was sold in 1981. After college, Rutberg went to work for a number of small, creative, California footwear companies developing and producing footwear for an international environment. Always extremely proud of American design, his clear mentor was legendary American shoe-man, Walter Newberger. In the heyday of the 1980’s he was the footwear designer for the sophisticated specialty store, Wilkes Bashford. “Best taste and merchandising talent of anyone I ever knew,” states Rutberg. Titan Industries reached out to Rutberg and as lead designer he developed footwear for bebe, LAMB, Badgley Mischka, Betsey Johnson, and Jennifer Lopez. “Most people who know me would tell you I make fierce young shoes. I think that they would be looking at work I have done, rather than where I am going. The success I had with Titan was historical. We were partners in an exciting world of creativity, shoes, and celebrity. It was always a pleasure working with licenses but I felt a change was necessary to go after my personal vision with my own line,” said Eric Rutberg. While transitioning to his own collection, Rutberg set out on his course by building an extensive private label business. “Owning and designing a line of footwear is different. I get to nurture my personal vision with an intense focus and the utmost creativity. It is refreshing to just be me,” Rutberg muses. Taking a moment to reflect, he goes on to say, “My line is influenced by the film, “The Unbearable Lightness of Being”. It made me understand love, beauty, and danger and that they are all transparent. Transparency is the reflection of color, which is really the reflection of life, in a sense. And that is what my brand is all about. “ Rutberg designs for the woman who buys her shoes like any other part of her wardrobe. Confident in her personal style and taste, she is certain it will all come together as she expects. The Eric Rutberg Transparent woman is strong and independent, a risk-taker. She likes getting dressed and enjoys color and texture. She buys shoes often, and for a particular look or outfit, she does not buy one pair of shoes to wear with everything every day. Women that boldly embrace fashion like Meredith Melling Burke, Nina Garcia, Rachel Zoe, and Kate Moss, are muses for the Eric Rutberg Transparent collection. The Eric Rutberg Transparent Spring 2012 collection is influenced by mid-century designs including those of George Nakashima and George Nelson, and the casual cool of designer Lilly Pulitzer in her heyday. Today’s American woman is empowered by bright colors that were embraced by Pulitzer and the stark shapes and clear woods that formed a blueprint of Nakashima’s work and others like him. In no uncertain terms, totally cool preppy merged with a mid-century modern aesthetic, which translates into a very contemporary metaphor.