Exclusive: Interview with Ralph and Russo

Lara Mansour   |   07-09-2017

The duo couturiers to reinvent the Haute Couture world for the global consumer. 

Founded by the dynamic duo, Tamara Ralph and Michael Russo in 2007, British haute couture fashion house Ralph & Russo has become renowned for its allure, romance, and timelessness.

Tamara Ralph is the creative mind behind the elegant and original handmade garments worn by the likes of Angelina Jolie and Beyoncé. Growing up in Sydney’s beach town of Cronulla, she came from three generations of couturiers, who furnished her with her initial training, and at just 10 years old she started creating her first couture pieces. Together with her fiancé Michael Russo, who is the CEO and brains behind the exclusive brand, they have joined the ranks of Chanel, Christian Dior, and Valentino as a member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris, the highest accolade in Haute Couture.

In the ferociously competitive, exclusive world of high fashion, it can take brands decades to join the elite group of haute couturiers, with Ralph & Russo being the first British couture label in a century to gain admittance, and to get to that stage requires ticking a lot of boxes. For starters, you’ll need an atelier in Paris with 20 full-time members of staff, designing made to order, handmade pieces for private clients. You will also be expected to present 50 original designs to the public twice a year, something that the duo’s eponymous atelier does to the most exceptional standard, with a loyal following, making waves in the highest end of fashion.

But their unique business was born from just a chance encounter. After studying at the White House Institute of design in Sydney, Tamara visited London for a holiday, where she hoped to make a break in the world of fashion. Instead, she quite literally bumped into Russo, a banker from Carseldine in Queensland, who was sent to London for work. With both of them looking for something different, they noticed a gap in the London market for Haute Couture and decided to take a leap of faith and combine their skills, while taking advantage of the international clientele constantly coming through London. After two years, the pair set up the now globally successful company, with a sewing machine and an ironing board. Fast forward ten years later and the couple are expanding rapidly with an international clientele list, and following a successful move into leather goods, an upcoming Ready-to-Wear line too.

We spoke to the design duo entrepreneurs about the secrets to their working relationship, how they grew their brand and gained credibility, and what is driving their success.

You have dressed some of the most famous women in the world, what does the Ralph & Russo woman embody?

Tamara Ralph: The Ralph & Russo woman is the empowered woman of today. She is confident, feminine, elegant and a leader in her field.

How do you define luxury?

Michael Russo: As an inimitable service that combines quality and most importantly, experience.

What is the biggest luxury in your lives?

Russo: Free time!

What do you think is key to a successful working relationship? How do you balance work and home when you are running a company together?

Russo: It’s important to have a balance in any relationship. For us, we ensure that we are constantly communicating on both a personal and professional level. It’s also just about having a huge amount of respect for the other person and genuinely loving spending time with them.

What do you love most about what you do?

Ralph: I love being able to make my client’s dreams and my own creative visions come true.

What has been your biggest achievement?

Russo: Being invited to show at Paris Haute Couture week remains one of our biggest accolades to date, but ultimately, building the brand from our living room and transforming it into a luxury super brand is undeniably our greatest achievement.

Ralph: I was born into a creative family with four generations of couturiers, so couture has played a part in my life from a very young age. I began exploring my mother’s pattern archive, draping and creating pieces for myself whilst I was still at school. As I grew older, my girlfriends started wanting the pieces that I was wearing and before I knew it I was receiving orders from individuals that knew of me purely by word of mouth.

How difficult was it to launch a new couture business? Particularly based in London, rather than Paris?

Russo: With Paris being the home of couture, launching a rival business from London was naturally a challenge, but also a pursuit to fill a clear gap in the market. As a hub for international travel and exploration, our location in London allowed us to immediately establish a global network of clientele from the comfort of our own home.

Do you feel that by waiting to be personally invited by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture to show in Paris set you apart from other smaller brands who haven’t gone on to have such great success?

Russo: Being selected by the Chambre Syndicale was a huge honour for us and positioned the brand alongside the power houses of Chanel and Dior. Showing on the official schedule continues to enhance our global awareness, but ultimately it is the brand values and quality of design that have driven our success.

What has been key to gaining credibility in a segment of fashion that is so elite and surrounded by so much history?

Ralph: Exclusivity, quality, and individuality. Each of these elements are of the utmost importance to the brand and our clientele.

How do you guarantee exclusivity with your gowns?

Ralph: Our clientele are international women, so we’re very careful to ensure that not only one of each design is created per country, but also that one of each design is being worn per event.

As more luxury brands bolster their Couture strategies, what do you feel sets you apart?

Ralph: The level of personal interaction that we enjoy with our clients. Michael and I have developed such close relationships with them all that they truly are extended family for us.

Can you tell us about the couture process at Ralph and Russo?

Ralph: Each creation starts with an initial meeting and the selection of a single sketch. During our first meeting, we will introduce the client to our collections, discuss their colour preferences and what they are looking for, take their measurements, and talk them through a series of designs.

Once a design sketch has been finalised, it will be sent to our atelier to be created into a calico toile by our skilled toilistes. At this stage, we always look to have a fitting with the client so that we can assess the fit of the garment and make any changes to the overall design.

All materials are selected and passed onto a team of couturiers and embroiderers who delicately assemble each piece into the final creation. A final fitting is arranged with the client and any additional tweaks are made to assure that the gown is perfect and exactly as the client had imagined.

What do you feel makes it a particularly special experience?

Ralph: It’s very special in that every couture process is tailored to each client and is completely unique. It’s also a process in which the client is involved at every stage. From the sketches and production of the toile, to the placement of embroidery and draping of the skirt. The creation of every look is documented so that each client is not just buying a product, but are a part of making something beautiful.

Do you travel to meet your clients around the world too?

Ralph: Of course, our clients have very busy lifestyles and we respect that. We take the opportunity to travel not only just for fittings, but also to spend time with them. Our relationships with our clients are never left at the door of our Maison.

Will you be looking to open more standalone atelier’s around the world, in addition to your London and Paris Maison’s, to allow more retail destinations for the brand?

Russo: We are currently executing a retail roll out which will see Ralph & Russo boutiques landing in several global retail destinations. London and Paris will always be home to our atelier’s, but to facilitate the demand of all of our product categories we will of course need to look to expanding further.

As you diversify into leather goods, and now ready to wear, was this always the dream to become a more diversified luxury business when you originally started as a strictly couture brand?

Russo: Couture will always be at the heart of the brand, but from the inception of Ralph & Russo Tamara and I had shared the vision of creating a global luxury brand and curating the ultimate lifestyle for our clients. The level of craftsmanship, quality, and innovation of design prevalent throughout our couture are values that we are passionate about incorporating into all our product categories.

Has the addition of the leather accessories, and scarves been to make the brand accessible to customers at a lower price point?

Russo: Our goal throughout our category launches has been to provide the quality of product and design that we are so reputed for, both at a more accessible price point but within a range where exclusivity remains possible.

Have you found that you have gained a lot of interest in these, and is that why you have decided to branch out into Ready-to-Wear?

Russo: Our introduction of ready-to-wear has really surfaced from popular demand and a desire to fill our client’s needs. We’ve received thousands of enquiries requesting pieces that can be available immediately, are accessible in price point and unrivalled in quality. We hope that our ready-to-wear collections will now fulfil those needs.

How have you found the process of Ready-to-Wear designing? Does your heart always remain with the exclusivity and luxury of couture?

Ralph: As a designer, creative processes come naturally to me, so whether it be our accessories lines, couture, ready-to-wear or the interior of our boutiques, my heart lies within our brand pillars of design and innovation, craftsmanship and quality.

What has been the most memorable moment of a famous face wearing one of your designs?

Ralph: We’ve been lucky enough to dress some of the world’s most inspiring women and we cherish each moment with them, but one moment that both Michael and I deem unforgettable was Beyoncé commissioning bespoke Ralph & Russo pieces for her Mrs Carter tour.

When celebrities wear your designs, it certainly results in a lot of awareness of the brand, but how does it reflect in your sales?

Russo: Celebrity moments always remind me of the incredible power of social media. We receive so many enquiries and WhatsApp’s from clients following each wear, some of which look to buy a celebrity piece in its entirety, and others taking inspiration from their look.

As your business rapidly grows, in which geographical markets are you experiencing the strongest growth?

Russo: The Middle East continues to be a huge market for us, but following greater exposure and expansion plans in the Americas we’ve experienced particularly strong growth there.

Which markets do you feel will present the biggest opportunities in the coming years?

Russo: We’re looking to expand into all major emerging markets but feel that South America could present a lot of opportunity for us in the future. With the retail roll out strategy currently in place, we plan to integrate further into the European market and to expand our reach throughout Asia with a series of boutique openings.

What is next on the agenda when it comes to product lines for Ralph and Russo?

Russo: Our launch of ready-to-wear in September this year has been the next big project on our agenda for some time. We continue to have big plans for the brand, including cosmetics and fragrances in the years to come, but as to our next step, I’m afraid you’ll have to stay tuned!’

What do you expect to be the biggest challenge the brand will face in the coming years?

Russo: In today’s political and modern climate, I think the continued need to adapt is going to challenge luxury brands as a whole, including adapting to a consumer-centric strategy. In the contemporary world, there’s no longer any room for ‘arrogant luxury’.

By Eliza Scarborough