Designer of Fantasy
It’s the stuff dreams are made of. Tamara Ralph of luxury couture brand Ralph & Russo gets detailed on what it takes to make a bespoke bridal gown, writes Elizabeth Soong
One half of the Ralph & Russo duo, Tamara Ralph shares on the inspiration behind their SS19 couture bridal look plus some tips on selecting the right dress
They’ve dressed the world’s rich and famous— Hollywood celebrities, European princesses, Middle Eastern royals, Chinese billionaires— and they’re the first British brand since 1915 to be admitted to the official programme of Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. In a span of 12 years, Ralph & Russo has turned its small couture atelier into a global powerhouse, boasting over 1,000 clients plus opening boutiques in main cities around the world (hello Miami, New York and Monte Carlo) and introducing their ready-to-wear collection.
Tatler Weddings caught up with one-half of the wonder duo, Tamara Ralph, thru an email interview after the presentation of their SS19 Couture Collection, marking its eleventh season in Paris Haute Couture Week. TATLER WEDDINGS: The collection looks amazing! How did this transpire? TAMARA RALPH:
Thank you! I’m glad to hear that you loved the collection! I’ve always loved black and white Hollywood movies and (actress) Maria Felix just had this incredible allure about her—she’s wonderfully confident, sophisticatedly sexy and unafraid to own her unique character. She’s naturally empowered; it was impossible not to be inspired by her. Tell us about your latest bridal gown design. What inspired it and please share the minute details in the making of the gown. When designing this season’s bridal, I wanted to create a look that was ultra-feminine and beautifully embellished, but in a very modern and understated way. The embroidery on this look consists of over 60,000 crystal xilions, 35 large crystal stones and over 15 reels of silk floss thread-work, all composed in a beautiful baroque design across the gown and edging the 3-metre train.
This season the look is accompanied by a hand-crafted headpiece composed entirely of silk flowers edged in crystals and bugle beads. While designing I was so inspired by the traditional Latina headdress you see worn at special events and dramatised by the likes of Carmen Miranda that we decided to create a floral headpiece to accompany the look. In total from conception to completion, this season’s bridal gown passed between the hands of 35 skilled artisans and took up over 10,000 hours.
What kind of woman do you envision wearing this bridal gown?
I always design each look with the Ralph & Russo muse in mind. She’s elegant, feminine, confident and a leader in her field—she’s the empowered woman of today.
Is there a reason why you present that one bridal gown at the finale of every show?
Aside from making a momentous and impactful finale, closing the season with a bridal look has been tradition within the couture industry since the ’40s, but it’s also more than that. With the bridal look being the most intricate and complex gown within the collection, the finale is more a celebration of craftsmanship, with the bridal look as the epitome.
Will you be coming up with a dedicated bridal collection anytime soon?
Bridal designs are such a special part of the business for us; it’s such an intimate and unique process that we really relish being a part of. In many ways, we feel that having a dedicated bridal collection can really detract from the magic behind designing a couture bridal gown. With only one special bridal look designed per season, it allows our bridal clients to really embrace their individuality and take inspiration from designs, as opposed to just ordering from a collection.