WHAT'S NEW IN THE OLD WORLD OF COUTURE? "BEST DESIGN"

WHAT'S NEW IN THE OLD WORLD OF COUTURE?

RALPH & RUSSO is not only the sole British house on the couture schedule, but is also one of the more recent additions, which is perhaps why the label is so keen to constantly evolve and challenge conventions. Although more traditional than many couture houses in terms of aesthetic - harking back to the golden heyday of couture and eschewing the modern approach of many of the more established houses, whose ready-to-wear and couture are almost indistinguishable to the layperson - Ralph & Russo places a great emphasis on technique, innovating each season.


"We have a few new techniques this season, of course," designer Tamara Ralph smiled as she walked us around the label's sprawling London atelier, ahead of Monday's show. "We have a new fabric, which is made by individually cutting pieces of silk and fusing them on to tulle, creating an effect that is new for us - and quite fun. We have more hand-painting, which we've done a little before but the scale this time is quite different; new bespoke corsets; a new pointed-bust shape. We've definitely worked hard to push ourselves in new directions," she smiles mischievously as its pointed out that her team must roll their eyes every time she has a boundary-pushing (and time-consuming) new idea.







Fans of the label's frothy and comfortingly glamorous confections will be glad to hear that the changes are all in the details and not in the overall effect. Not out of place at a royal wedding or state banquet - where the house's creations are frequently found - the new collection offers a gentle evolution that will suit its customers perfectly.


"We have always had two sort of design signatures," Ralph nodded, gesturing to a client's wedding dress being beaded by three of the house's 120-strong team of artisans, "and I think both of those are still developing in a parallel way. We have the very soft, diaphanous shapes that are focused on flow and movement and fabric; and other much more structured pieces that allow us to play with cutting techniques  - both of which can be beaded or not."

"We've definitely
worked hard
to push ourselves
in new directions"



That dichotomy of handwriting is testament to Ralph's pragmatic approach to finding something for every customer's taste, which nevertheless sits within the Ralph & Russo aesthetic - a practice adopted by every hugely successful brand throughout history. The painstaking attention to detail - which sees Ralph deliberate over the number of flowers appliquéd on to a jacket or exact length of a hem during our visit - will also be applied to the label's new accessories.

Set to launch on the company's website this season, the bags and shoes are the first step in offering the accessible products that will help it transition from British couturier to global brand - whilst allowing those with a slightly less regal budget than their client to access a little taste of couture.

"I think this look can take a bag," Ralph said thoughtfully as she prepared one particularly striking cobalt blue suit for the catwalk. And, if we know the label's fans as we think we do, they'll all take one too.

Shoes will be online at RalphandRusso.com this weekend, with bags arriving later in the season.