Ralph & Russo Takes High Fashion Back To The Olden Days

In just 10 years, London duo Ralph & Russo has taken a fairy-tale ride to the inner circle of haute couture

- Devon Pendleton

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released their engagement photos to the public in 2017, the future Duchess of Sussex’s long-sleeved gown with a sheer top and tulle skirt sparked an instant controversy. It was modern, glamorous, and, at £56,000 ($68,112), incredibly expensive. To the Daily Mirror, it was “racier than what we’re used to.”

But to the low- profile fashion house Ralph & Russo, it was a royal coup. Creative director Tamara Ralph had founded the business in 2010 with then-boyfriend, now- fiancé Michael Russo. A fourth-generation couturier and native of Sydney, she sold her first piece, a skirt, at age 12. Up until Markle, though, the duo had catered to billionaire clients out of a seven-floor, 19th century townhouse in London’s Mayfair district in a rather quiet fashion.

It’s been a quick rise since. In June 2018, Angelina Jolie was photographed attending a service at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London in an ivory couture Ralph & Russo dress and matching fascinator. Last winter, Priyanka Chopra donned a cream-colored silk-crepe couture jumpsuit from the brand in a ceremony before her wedding to pop star Nick Jonas. In less than a decade, the duo has established itself right alongside the elite old guard. Now the brand must grapple with what all independently funded fashion houses must face—how to take on financial backers without losing its identity and individualized focus on the customer.