By Tracy Schaverien

Copyright hellomagazine

As one of the A-list’s favourite designers, Tamara Ralph has created spectacular couture outfits for red-carpet events all over the world. From the dazzling, crystal-embellished floral gown that Blake Lively wore to the premiere of her film It Ends With Us, and Angelina Jolie’s strapless, draped chiffon number for the premiere of her movie Maria at last year’s Venice Film Festival, to Amal Clooney’s shimmering pearl-beaded dress at this summer’s Tony Awards in New York, Tamara’s creations never fail to turn heads.

She was also the designer who Meghan Markle trusted to dress her for the official photos to mark her engagement to Prince Harry in 2017. The stunning black-and-gold gown with a feathered tulle ruffled skirt, together with its £57,000 price tag, made headlines around the world.

“To be involved in incredible moments in history like this is amazing,” Tamara tells HELLO! as she invites us into her beautiful home on the French Riviera for this exclusive interview and photoshoot.

“Throughout my career, I’ve worked with lots of big names, including Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry and Queen Rania [of Jordan], and they’re all really lovely and wonderful to work with. I’ve worked with many of them, like Angelina, for a very long time and they do become friends. I’m very grateful to have such long relationships with some of these incredible women.”

The Australian-born designer, 43, came to prominence as one half of Ralph & Russo, the luxury fashion house she founded in 2010 with her former boyfriend Michael Russo. Both their romantic and business partnerships ended and, after Tamara stepped down as creative director in 2021, the brand folded and she launched her new eponymous label a year later.

Her celebrity clients followed. Among those she has dressed this year are JLo and the British actress Florence Pugh for the Toronto Film Festival, as well as Rita Ora, who dazzled at the Emmy Awards in a pink double-satin strapless dress with a silk chiffon cape.

While some pieces originate from the runway, others are custom-made. “Couture is a very personal and collaborative process,” says Tamara, who has ateliers in London and Paris. “Clients either see pieces they like or they want me to create something specially for them.

“We always start by talking about what the event is, what works for them and come up with a range of options and designs I sketch personally. Then we work on fittings, so my team and I have a hectic travel schedule. You have to make sure the details and the fit are absolutely perfect.”

One of Tamara’s more intricate pieces was the gown that Blake wore last year to the London opening of It Ends with Us. Originally created for a couture runway show, it was made from metal and pave-set crystal stones, with appliqué flowers embroidered on top to create a 3D effect.

“The whole dress is actually like a piece of fine jewellery and was hand-woven over thousands of hours,” she says. “All the couture pieces take an incredibly long time to create, even the simplest pieces that don’t have embroidery, like the beautiful, draped chiffon that we did for Angelina Jolie for the Venice Film Festival.

“Angelina has an incredible eye for detail, whether it’s a red-carpet piece or in film,” adds Tamara, who also designed costumes for the movie Maleficent.

Tamara is the fourth generation of her family to work in fashion. She started designing at the age of 12 under the guidance of her mother and her grandmother, a couturier. “She taught me all of the craftsmanship side of things, which was lovely to be exposed to, because it really set the foundation for the quality that I hold true for the brand today,” she says.

In turn, Tamara’s daughters Haliya, four, and one-year-old Nylah have already been introduced to their mother’s industry. “I want them to grow up with a role model who is a strong businesswoman,” she says. “They’re there with me at Fashion Week and they come to the offices and see pieces being made. The embroidery team is teaching my four-year-old how to do embroidery, and she likes to sit with me while I’m sketching and gives her opinion. She has actually started to sketch and she likes to style herself already.”

Tamara met her partner, the Indian businessman Bhanu Choudhrie, in 2018 through a business networking organisation. Today, the family split their time between a home in Monaco and their summer house in Cannes, which Bhanu already owned.

“It’s a house that we adore, because it’s where we started our life together and where our family has grown, so it has very good energy,” she says of the hillside property, which has 180-degree views of the Mediterranean, as well as eight bedrooms, an outdoor pool, gym, sauna and guest house.

Inside, Tamara has applied her creative eye and feminine touch to the open-plan space, which has a cream, gold, beige and grey colour scheme, while modern furniture, including the 16-seat cream resin and gold dining table she commissioned with an artist, is mixed with antique chandeliers and other pieces.

“When I moved in, I changed almost everything, as you do,” she says. “What used to be bedrooms and a wine cellar downstairs is an entire kids’ level now, with a cinema and playroom. I wanted to make it a family home. It has a very relaxed energy here.”

Having re-established herself on the global fashion stage, Tamara has exciting plans ahead. Her autumn/winter collection has an art deco element and features winter white, delicate creams, blushes, metallics, rose golds and golds. “It’s my favourite era and I love the fusion of jewellery elements with art deco detailing and a feminine, soft palette. Feminine strength is really what we stand for and is shown through in all of my collections, and will continue to be so.

“I knew that I would relaunch, it was just about when,” she says. “I’m very grateful that it’s been successful and I’m very excited for this second chapter.”

For the full interview pick up a copy of this week’s Luxe issue, on sale now