TAMARA RALPH Couture FW25

7^th July on a sunny evening in Paris at the renowned Orbe New York, Palais de Tokyo, couture designer Tamara Ralph unveiled her latest collection for Fall Winter 2025-2026, now in its second year, the designer’s eponymous brand continues to evolve, this season drawing inspiration from the elegance, class and minimalism of the deco period, the collection entitled LA PERLE RARE

is a celebration of opulence and precision, where classic design from the past meets modern allure.  5ELEVEN examines the collection and speaks with the designer for a couture exclusive.

Tamara Ralph Couture Fall Winter 2025 collection. Paris, July 7th, 2025

Echoing distinctive deco detailing, bodices feature geometric shapes and soft, sensual curves that accentuate the body. Mother-of-pearl illuminates the garments as models stride down the runway, while draped satin and silk crepe are punctuated by soft feathers and crystals. Gold embellishments sway and catch the light at every turn.

The soft palette comprises harmonious winter whites, delicate blushes, and creamy tones that meet luminous rose golds, evoking a sense of the ethereal. Accessories include teardrop pavé crystals, while blush pink satin is tempered by winter white ostrich leather.

While the collection boasts an artful elegance that exemplifies Tamara Ralph’s accomplished design skills, it is underpinned by sumptuous fabrics, including double duchess and satin, silks, chiffons, and silk crepes, layered to perfection. This adds depth, softness, and movement, courtesy of the brand’s distinguished partner, Ruffo Coli.

The Fall-Winter 2025 2026 collection is a masterpiece of Deco decadence, showcasing pieces that seamlessly blend past and present through carefully constructed designs that stand the test of time and are sure to become heritage pieces themselves.

 A few days before Tamara Ralph shares her latest collection with the world, the Founder and Creative Director of the eponymous brand takes the time to sit with 5Eleven to share her love of the craft. Coming from generations of couturiers, Tamara is no stranger to couture and the deep knowledge and craftsmanship that underpins it, and she takes us back to the beginning, to those who first inspired her journey, across some of the highlights of her career to date, to today as she prepares to share her latest collection with the world.

“In terms of creativity, my grandmother and my great-grandmother both worked in the couture industry - more on the craftsmanship side - and although they did not have their own businesses, they were all in fashion and I think that is where my love for it grew, through my mother and my grandmother exposing me to that world, and I developed an interest at a quite a young age. At eight years old, I started sketching dresses, and at 10, I started being quite interested in how things were made.” But remembers Tamara, her family kept her at arm’s length in the beginning. 

“I wasn't allowed to do anything, like touch the sewing machines – for safety reasons. We used to have a room in our house that housed all my mum’s patterns, sewing machine, and all her creations – as she used to create pieces for me and my sister when we were young. My grandmother was the same; she also had a room in her house for her projects. So, it was just something we grew up with; we made our own clothes, rather than buying them. That was fashion to me, you make it yourself. And my mother - every time we had a special event - she would make something for me and my grandmother as well. So, what was just a hobby, or a passion, turned into a career, which was the best way to further develop my interest in the business - because it was a genuine passion. It just developed, and I started creating pieces at home from a very young age - just because I enjoyed doing it, and then I started selling them, and then this little hobby turned into a business. I always dreamt of being in Europe because, for me, that’s where the heart of fashion was - Paris. And so that brought me to Europe, and then the rest is history, I suppose. “ 

However, Tamara stresses, it was really her grandmother who taught her the craftsmanship behind couture. “She really was very passionate about the quality and the craftsmanship. So, when she saw that I was interested in fashion, she bought me a mannequin and taught me draping, pattern cutting and stitching and would critique it quite strictly. So, it was really setting the foundation for the craftsmanship and the quality standards that we hold today, which was a lesson that I was very, very grateful for.”

Tamara explains that it is the details below the surface that really separate couture from other design disciplines, details that her grandmother ensured she understood, and that she continues to place at the core of her collections today. “The inner workings are essential when you're structuring a piece, such as with garments like jackets and tailoring, that differentiates internally what makes a piece inherently haute couture versus ready-to-wear. This is so integral, and something I took with me when I launched my career. I trained my first seamstresses with the same approach and discipline, who are now experts in these kinds of techniques.”

More than any one person’s design aesthetic, Tamara has always followed the careers and been galvanised by those whose achievements and the drive to succeed have taken them to the top of their careers. “It was never a particular designer; [that inspired me], it was more that they had built their careers within their own businesses.” Being one of the few female creative directors in her industry is an accolade that Tamara doesn’t take lightly. “It's wonderful and really quite an honour, and I wish that there were more in my practice in the industry.” Although she believes there is still work to be done, she is quick to add that merit should not focus too much on gender, but rather on talent and achievement. “I think female creative directors are supported. I still believe there's more work to be done. I think that there's always a shift, and a lot of creative directors are changing across the board. I guess it’s not necessarily about male or female, but rather who's the best person for the job. But, you know, we need to support women and see more leading fashion houses.”  

Ready-to-Wear and Couture have vastly different processes, and both require months of careful planning and preparation. Tamara takes us through the demanding process of creating couture, from initial inception to final collection. “Developing a collection really is a solid six months of work from initial inspiration and concept development to testing and prototyping and development of materials, embroideries and techniques. That takes quite a few months, just that process alone. And then, when it actually comes to the garments, obviously, that's quite an intense part of the process. Still, it always starts with a direction, an idea, or some sort of inspirational concept, and then I start sketching. That develops into more ideas, so I tend to sketch quite a few sketches to begin, sometimes over 150. And then narrow down, change colours, change shapes. And then we do a lot of draping in cotton, so that I can see volumes and silhouettes. That's all happening at the same stage as the material development and techniques, and we work with quite a few different artisans around the world for metalwork, embroidery, and fabric manipulation. It's incredible to work with these artisans. And so that creative process is going on with quite a few different artisans around the world, all at the same time.” 

The founder and creative director explains that even when the final designs are complete, many adjustments are still required, up to the last minute before the unveiling. That said, she very much enjoys the teamwork and collaboration that facilitate this process, with input that spans all levels of the company. “When we get to final designs, that's still an evolving process right up until the actual show day, because, during fittings, we change things. So, it's a good six months of work, but it's fun, a nice process, and very involved. The entire company is involved, no matter what position they're in.”

Each season, while Tamara retains a particular signature and ethos across her work, she ensures that the collections blend the timeless elegance synonymous with couture with a sense of modernism and innovation. “Every season we like to innovate and show something different, and that's very important to continually evolve as a creative. We want to push the boundaries with all the collections. Again, this season we've got something completely different to what we've done before, which is exciting and inspiring. It's important to keep these new, refreshing ideas and innovations.” This dedication and forward-thinking approach led Tamara to become one of the first female creative directors from the UK in nearly a hundred years to show at Paris Couture Week. “That was an incredible honour, and really it was wonderful to have the support and recognition for my work, and it was humbling.” And though Tamara has achieved many great things with her past work as Creative Director and co-founder of Ralph and Russo, showing at Paris Couture Week and the creation of her eponymous label are also among her latest highlights. “I don't think there's one particular [highlight], but I suppose being recognised as the first creative director in a hundred years to be invited by Chambre Syndicale to show in Paris, that was a huge achievement. And, of course, relaunching under my own name was a huge achievement for myself. I'm very happy to be here, and to be doing what I love most. It has been a lot of hard work, but it's now been two years somehow and the journey continues. It's something that I'm very grateful for.”

Although it has only been two years, Tamara Ralph has firmly established her new brand, showcasing it in Paris while demonstrating all the hallmarks of her exemplary design and business acumen. And with the latest collection taking inspiration from one of her favourite eras, Deco. In her own words, Tamara says the label represents ‘femininity, strength, and craftsmanship, elegance and modernity.’ Words that somehow seem to describe her so very fittingly. “The opulence, the allure, the detailing, the elegance. And there are many delicate textures, soft metallic tones, dazzling details and feminine geometrics, which I love.” She has much to be proud of, not only for this stunning latest show but also including collaborations that have taken the brand in new and exciting directions. “It's been an incredibly busy two years. I'm very grateful for how the brand has grown and how it's been received, and it's been incredibly exciting to see the growth in all the categories. Couture is of course the beating heart of the business, but then there’s the partnership and collaboration side as well. I partnered with Audemars Piguet last year, which was a huge success and incredible to be able to push the boundaries and take my creativity into a category I've never designed in before. To work with a company like Audemars Piguet, which is at the top of their field and really has this incredible vision for women, was both exhilarating and inspiring. As well as the recent collection that we launched with French crystal house Daum, which is amazing. They are such an established house, and it's incredible to see the history and creativity that has unfolded over the years. I love what they do, as it’s almost as if they create couture homeware, in a sense, and no two pieces are the same. They are true works of art, in crystal form. With both partnerships, it was wonderful to work across these different categories, which I'd never worked done before. And then, of course, we have our own plans – as a brand - to diversify into different categories in the near future, it's exciting., shifting focus to new products and categories that are meaningful for the brand and that sitll fit within our ethos and brand pillars. I'm very happy to see how the brand's developing, and truly cannot wait for what is still to come.”