One of the most interesting Collections presented this summer.
The British couture house showed its latest collection in Paris.
FOLLOWING last season’s abundance of flowers, feathers were the order of the day at Ralph & Russo – presented a similarly organic but more grown-up sensibility for the house’s many hundreds of clients. Having found success in offering couture lovers a more classic aesthetic than the increasingly modern major houses, designer Tamara Ralph was ready to add a sophisticatedly sensual gown to her woman’s collection – and famous fans including Angelina Jolie and Cheryl Cole will no doubt be thrilled.
“We had a lot of vintage Sixties embroideries that we redeveloped, so that was the starting point in terms of fabric,” Ralph told . “The Ralph & Russo girl this season is strong, she’s beautiful; the shapes are more sensual, but within that we still have a range of styles for all our clients.”
Taking seemingly incongruous inspirations – Russian Tsarinas in creations as delicate and embellished as a Fabergé egg; and the Sixties, with its swingy hems and youthful cropped proportions – Ralph added the natural touch that has become a signature of the house in the form of the aforementioned feathers.
Richer colours moved on from last season’s macaroon pastels with gold, mallard green, teal, olive, navy and dramatic red adding to the grown-up feel. As if there weren’t enough real feathers – 300,000 of them hand-curled and individually painted in the house’s London atelier – fabrics too took on avian qualities: deliciously light silk velvet recalling the blue of a jay’s wing, rich burnished copper capturing the swish of a pheasant’s tail, not to mention flocks and flocks of snowy white doves (some in mink, others in organza or silk).
A high-necked coat dress, created with archive Sixties lace, opened the show with the kind of beautiful simplicity that has won the British house so many admirers. Pieces bearing elaborate embroidery – of which there were many – benefitted from a simple silhouette, while other draped and curled and folded pieces remained deliberately unadorned.
Ralph’s discerning eye goes a long way to creating an opulence that somehow still remains understated, although she would be the first to credit the brand’s talented artisans with the gentle execution of another great collection. This season, as in the world of her clients, old meets new seamlessly – with just a little couture fairy dust sprinkled on top – a concept nowhere more evident than in this summer’s bridal finale.
Worn by Ana Beatriz Barros, the Victorian neckline and intricate gold embroidery of the dress was given a sexy hip-hugging shape – with just a little extra va va voom. How can something that is comprised of 700 metres of embroidered Chantilly lace be called “simple”? That’s the Ralph & Russo je ne sais quoi.
“It was heavy when I first tried it, but then they did something magical, I don’t know, and now it’s perfect,” Barros smiled backstage before the show of the usually inordinately heavy creation. “I’m getting married later this year and I thought I would want something simple, but maybe Tamara will convince me.”
Via: British Vogue
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