Ruti Zisser
| File:Logo | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Fashion, Lifestyle |
| Founded | 2009 in Palo Alto, California, United States |
| Founder | Ruti Zisser |
| Headquarters | Belmont, California , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Apparel |
Ruti Zisser (born July 1974) is an American lifestyle and fashion designer, wardrobe stylist, entrepreneur, and advocate for fair trade. Known simply as Ruti Zisser, she established a fashion brand that designs, produces, and markets her collections.
Biography
Ruti Zisser was born on July 21, 1974. Her family relocated to Brussels, Belgium in 1977 and later moved to Munich, Germany in 1982. In 1999, she emigrated to Palo Alto, California, where she eventually obtained permanent residency and became a U.S. citizen in 2006.
Before entering the fashion industry, Zisser spent her late twenties and early thirties working within the technology sector. Reflecting on that period, she admitted that she never felt fulfilled by her tech career: "For many years I lacked the courage to confess to myself and others that my passion lay elsewhere—far from algorithms and artificial intelligence. Technology was not my calling; I have always valued a more personal, human connection." She married in 2002 and is a mother to three children: Yoav, Tamar, and Guy.
Company
Founded in 2009 by Zisser in her Palo Alto garage, RUTI Inc. is a privately owned enterprise. The brand focuses on creating stylish yet comfortable apparel suitable for all age groups. Zisser explains her mission: "My goal is to transform how you interact with your wardrobe. Society often teaches us that style requires sacrifice—that beauty demands discomfort and sophistication must be traded for fleeting trends. That’s where I step in."
History
The inaugural RUTI retail store commenced operations on October 5, 2009, located in Palo Alto. The brand's second boutique was launched on Fillmore Street in San Francisco, featuring an interior design crafted by Nicole Hollis, a local designer based in San Francisco. Following this, the third boutique was established in Santa Monica, with design contributions from Israeli designers Karina Tollman and Philipp Thomanek. The fourth location opened its doors on 4th Street in Berkeley, California. In 2013, RUTI expanded to Venice, Los Angeles, setting up shop along the lively Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Building upon the momentum of their physical stores, RUTI introduced an eCommerce platform toward the end of 2014. By 2016, the company inaugurated a new headquarters and showroom in Belmont, California, where all label development and design activities are centralized. Pursuing a direct-to-consumer approach, plans were made to open additional boutiques in Scottsdale, Miami, and Seattle during 2018.