Tamara Ralph And Michael Russo On Building A Global Luxury Lifestyle Brand

Tamara Ralph and her partner Michael Russo explain to Jing Zhang how building a global luxury lifestyle brand is as much a matter of the heart as it is of business.

- Jing Zhang

From Angelina Jolie’s glorious silver-fringed gown on her latest red carpet to Meghan Markle’s black beaded bodice dress in the official photo of her engagement to Prince Harry, Ralph & Russo gowns are now world-famous. Feted and worn by Middle Eastern royalty, Aishwarya Rai, Beyoncé, the Hadid sisters and Angelababy, the style is about uncompromising femininity, with volumes exaggerated and pinched to fabulous effect. Then there are the statement colors, the sensual fits, the movement of light chiffon layers, slinky silks and ostrich feathers that dance deliciously around the body.

The rise of Ralph & Russo, now ubiquitous at events like Cannes or the Oscars, has been fast and furious. In 2014, the London-based brand became the first British fashion house in more than a century to be accredited by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris.

“Before establishing Ralph & Russo, Michael [Russo] and I had always shared the vision of building a global luxury lifestyle brand. We never wanted to be known and loved for one individual product category forever,” says the brand’s fine-featured creative director Tamara Ralph. “There was always that wish to diversify and expand into a larger house with a more holistic offering.”

In terms of couture, theirs is a relatively young luxury brand that’s had an enormous impact on the contemporary market – and this year they followed up with a big launch of prêt-à-porter for spring/summer 2020, as well as shoes, accessories, and bags.