Marty Ruza

{{short description|American fashion designer}}

Marty Ruza of "Ruza Creations"/"Elegant Belts" was an American designer of leather fashion accessories who won a Coty Award for jewelry design in 1970. He was described by the fashion journalist Eleanor Lambert as the "leader of the fringed leather and beads school".{{cite news|last=Lambert|first=Eleanor|title=Ethnic Theme Monopolises Front Seat in Fashion|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2506&dat=19700919&id=45lIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vgkNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4164,4626742|accessdate=29 November 2012|newspaper=The News and Courier|date=19 September 1970}}

Ruza won his Special Coty Award along with five other jewelry designers - Bill Smith, Daniel Stoenescu and Steven Brody at Cadoro, Alexis Kirk, and Cliff Nicholson.{{cite book|last=McDowell|first =Colin |title=McDowell's Directory of Twentieth Century Fashion|publisher=Frederick Muller|date=1984|pages=299–301|isbn =0-584-11070-7}} For the Coty show, his jewelry, along with matching belts and bags, was showcased in a short film montage by Milton Greene.{{cite news|last=Lady Fare |title=Bill Blass Named to Hall of Fame |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7ZlIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vgkNAAAAIBAJ&pg=699,7047025&dq=up-tied+eileen+richardson&hl=en|accessdate=14 December 2012|newspaper=The News and Courier|date=29 September 1970}} Whilst his leather goods were described as jewel-like, Ruza's company, Elegant Belts, specialised in belts, bags and headbands rather than focussing on jewelry like the other recipients of the Special award.{{cite news|last=Mohr|first=Berta|title=Mohr about Fashion: Patterns and Prints lead Winning Designs|url=http://fultonhistory.com/newspaper%2010/Yonkers%20NY%20Herald%20Statesman/Yonkers%20NY%20Herald%20Statesman%201970%20Grayscale/Yonkers%20NY%20Herald%20Statesman%201970%20a%20%20Grayscale%20-%200413.pdf|accessdate=30 November 2012|newspaper=The Herald Statesman|date=25 September 1970}} Among Ruza's designs were the "sewing bag tote" designed for women who wanted to carry their needlework around with them,{{cite news|last=McCormack|first=Patricia|title=Embroidery's the Thing for Spring|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=098bAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sFEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5207,234805&dq=marty-ruza&hl=en|accessdate=30 November 2012|newspaper=The Dispatch|date=5 January 1972}} and bags and belts in embroidered vinyl.{{cite news|last=O'Sullivan|first=Joan|title=Stitches in Time|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19720420&id=BgkrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qpkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6249,6847600|accessdate=30 November 2012|newspaper=Reading Eagle|date=20 April 1972}} Elegant Belts was still in business in the early 1980s, with Ruza as its president.{{cite news|title=Belt-Tightening Times Good for Belt Makers|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=19 November 1982|quote=Marty Ruza, president of one belt-manufacturing company, says the first six months this year were his best season in years.}}